Sacrifice and Redemption
by skywolf666
Summary: Matsuribayashi-hen Sono Jūichi. Mion stood so calmly between them and the deranged woman who was so eager to take their lives. She would shield them all, but in her heart, she really was standing between Keiichi and that woman's gun. KeiichixMion. Complt.
1. The Back

"Mion-chan, if you don't want any of your little friends to get shot, then step forward!" Takano's voice was surprisingly level as she brandished the gun from face to surprised face. She watched with a strange satisfaction as Mion's face hardened and the emerald-haired girl walked slowly, almost proudly, to take her place in front of her comrades. Rena cried out in alarm, reaching for her as she walked away, but a single thrust of Mion's hand into the air silenced her, and Takano felt a strange spasm of pleasure in her stomach as the young Sonozaki stared right into the barrel of the gun she held.

She glared past the teen, into the eyes of the horned-imp that had told her so boldly that she, unlike her race, could forgive man, forgive _her_ of her sins. Through the sheet of heavy rain that covered the entire forest, she spoke directly to the mauve-haired goddess, not even caring about the confused looks that passed along the club members and to the devil that stood so calmly in their midst. "Thanks to you, everything, _everything_ is all messed up... but leaving this world like this, it's just too much to bear... I cannot be forgiven of my sins, so at least allow me to return the favour."

"Are you honestly that desperate!?" Keiichi shouted angrily, a surge of fury bringing him forward only to be stopped abruptly when Satoko's hand clasped down tightly on his arm. His mind throbbed with a pulse of fury that he knew only too well, but the trap-master's hand on his arm sent a calming dose of reality back to him. He stopped his advance as he stared at the back of his best friend, and despite his anger, he knew he could do nothing to ever put her in harm's way.

"Oh you're damn right I am!" Takano nearly shouted, her madness driving her to only further panic and sadism as she glared hatefully into the youthful faces. They had all destroyed her dreams, had pretty much set fire to the book she clutched so zealously to her chest even now. Her eyes widening with a manic amusement, she cocked the gun and pulled back the safety, almost cooing, "You see, there's just one bullet left in this gun... but as long as I have one, _right_? It makes all the difference..."

"Takano!"

"Don't rush me... if I shoot too quickly, who knows who will get hit?"

Mion grit her teeth tightly, her mind almost immediately calculating the odds. The woman was too close and by the marks on her neck, she was completely deranged. If she fired at that distance, someone was going to die. Her blood ran cold at the thought, and instinctively her arms shot out protectively and she made herself a shield in front of her comrades. 'Dammit!' She didn't even look back at them, not wanting to see the fear or shock in their faces as she so willingly gave her body up for their lives. "Everybody, behind me!"

Rika jerked as though she'd been slapped across the face, and she saw similar reactions from those who stood beside her. Hanyuu had turned positively white, while Rena's jaw dropped in a grimace of horror. Satoko was clutching tightly to Keiichi's arm, the young man looked ready to lunge from where he stood to push Mion out of the way and get his hands around the blond's already bleeding neck. No one moved, too worried that even a sneeze would set off the already wound nurse and while one bullet was only one bullet, it would only take a single shot to snuff out a life of anyone that they stood shoulder to shoulder with.

Takano laughed at the show of bravery, her eyes dancing as her laugh rose to a near hysterical giggle that echoed in the rainy night. Part of her was truly astounded, and grudgingly impressed by Mion's easy acceptance, it left her wondering and annoyed at the same time. Shaking it off because she knew in the end that it would do her no good, she allowed herself to be filled with hatred once more. Adjusting her aim to settle between Mion's bright green eyes, she taunted her playfully, "Such courage... You'd sacrifice yourself and take the bullet so no one else will be harmed?"

"Hell yes! Go ahead and shoot!" Mion replied loudly, standing taller as pride suffused in her chest and limbs, giving her a courage she wasn't even sure she really had. She didn't look away from the barrel of the gun, almost challenging the bullet to fire and sink itself into her body, to spare her friends. She could practically feel the terror of the ones behind her, and it almost made her want to take a step forward, putting more room between them and the madwoman with the weapon. Her jaw tightened and her eyes glittered with deadly promise as she thought of each of the teens behind her, though of them taking the bullet instead of her. It terrified her in ways the gun she faced couldn't, the idea of Rena, Satoko, Rika, Hanyuu and especially Keiichi's eyes darkening and dulling over with death, never again to smile... Standing her ground, she all but spat in the face of what could've been her death, her threat loud and perfectly clear, "But you better _damn well_ hit me! You just _try_ hitting one of my friends! I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Oh I'm so scared..."

"M-Mion-san!" Satoko began fearfully, almost forgetting that she had been holding back Keiichi from trying to take over her oldest friend's role. This time however it was Rena who took her hand, holding her backwards while Rika held on fearfully to Hanyuu, both girls attempting valiantly to hold their calm in the face of the threat. Keiichi growled low in his throat but Satoko held his arm firm this time, yanking it back to her chest as if she could keep him there simply by holding on and Rena's free hand clasped over Keiichi's wrist, also attempting to stop him.

"Don't move anyone." Mion warned them, hearing the rustle of their wet clothing even above the frantic drumming of her heart. She was surprised by how violent the urge was to look over her shoulder, to see the faces of the ones she was so happily giving her life to protect. She wondered absently what Keiichi's face looked like, wondered if he was angry with her sudden bold move, the thought almost made her smile. 'Sorry...' Keeping her voice light, as if it was nothing more than a regular game, she continued cheekily, "I'm the club leader, nothing on Earth would make me happier than to shield every single one of you."

Keiichi growled again, knowing that she meant it and for some odd reason it only annoyed him more than soothed his nerves. She had always taken her leadership rather seriously, and the reason flashed in front of his face like neon lighting. She really did love each and every one of them, as she had demonstrated time and time again. They weren't just friends to her, they had become family, and she meant to stake her life on that bond, almost cheerfully if it meant sparing even one of their lives. He called out to her now, wanting to see her face, wanting to know if she was truly as scared as he was right now. "Mion, don't be stupid! Don't do this!"

Mion didn't turn to look at him, and he nearly stepped forward, hands outstretched to shake some sense into her but Rena and Satoko kept their grip on his forearms. His mind was spinning in crazy arcs, flashes of disjointed memories that made no sense as they rolled together into one cohesive thought. He saw her smiling face, heard her teasing voice and it echoed in his head as his mind processed coldly that he would never hear or see them again if she really did go through with it. The sight of her back scared him almost as much as not being able to see her face, to read those deceptively calm emerald eyes that in the right light, seemed to hold the world in them.

"Mion!"

The way he yelled her name, the way the panic rose in his voice when she didn't respond, she filed it all away somewhere in the corner of her mind. She wanted to remember this moment for the rest of her life, no matter how short it would be. She felt no confusion, it all seemed so right to be standing there, blocking off Takano's aim, keeping them from harm, but somewhere in her heart she was crying out. She was scared to die, to never again feel warmth or cold, or to see the faces of those she loved... Her resolve hardened, this was the fate that they all were facing. Her teeth clenched down tightly and she held her ground even while she wanted to weep. 'I can't... I can't let you die! I can't!'

"Mion-chan, why won't you listen to your little friend? You play so many games, don't you? I'm sure you hate to lose." Takano teased, her laugh arcing higher as her own joke sent her into a frenzy of even deeper madness. She could see the true fury and worry in Keiichi's violet eyes, contrasting so violently with the deadly calm and violence in Mion's. Her gun was steady as she aimed it for each major area, almost lazily trying to decide where she would allow the bullet to hit. She continued on very softly, her gaze drifting from face to face, savouring their fear and hatred, knowing that once her bullet was fired, her own sentence would be played out before her. "Ever play Old Maid? This is so similar... It's exactly like man's sin, passing it off to each player, not to win, but sacrifice someone, to make them the loser... and I drew the Old Maid. So I will vent my anger on you!"

"We don't play Old Maid, we only play Old Geezer." Mion scoffed very softly, the dread slowly leaking from her veins as she watched Takano's pupils dilate her fury reaching a peak so high that there was nowhere to go but down. Yet even in that moment, she was filled with a calm that contrasted heavily with the adrenalin pounding in her head, in her heart. Her eyes narrowing she took that one step forward to further shield her friends and her heart cried out in pain. She didn't turn her head even though she yearned to, not to see how _they_ would take this final act, but to look into the eyes of the one who mattered more to her than all else. The one she truly wanted to defend. "Keiichi..."

Rika gasped as she felt Hanyuu's thin arm sliding from her hand, but the goddess didn't make it a step before the gunshot went off, screaming its fury into the air before sinking itself through skin and bone. Everyone jerked, afraid to see where the bullet had gone, _who_ it had hit, even though deep in their young souls, they already knew. Time froze and a soft gasp left the lips of their beloved leader, and the shrine-maiden swore she heard a final triumphant laugh before Mion's form crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

**AN**

**Bah. It's crap. XD Oh well, I'm writing it for me so it doesn't matter. This'll be a threeshot, in a "what-if" scenario, and I'm sure you should already see the "what-if" option XD. I always wondered how everyone would've reacted if Takono actually nailed Mion, I personally think all hell would've broken loose. Hanyuu did a brave thing in that episode and I was perversely proud of her, but at the same time it kinda took poor Mion's thunder XD She wasn't suicidal, but she sure as hell loved her team. Anyway, I've rambled, and there's two more parts to this so... Heheh. I'll be continuing this throughout the month when I'm not too busy with ANW... So... Meh. Click the green button... Y'know you wanna. XD**

**Sky**


	2. At the Clinic

Keiichi felt numb. He watched as Dr Irie and several men from the organization that had come to their rescue worked feverishly over the painfully still body of their club leader. It was so outlandishly wrong to see the energetic emerald-haired teen so still, all he could do was stare beyond the glass and feel her blood drying on his hands and back. 'Mion...'

Satoko gripped his wrist, ignoring the blood on his palm as she tugged his arm gently to get his attention. Though his eyes never left the surgery, the tilt of his head let her know that he was listening, and impulsively, the young girl leaned close to him and murmured, "Is she gonna be okay, Keiichi-san?"

"I... I don't know Satoko." Keiichi answered her quietly, wincing at the taste of his own words. Satoko stood beside him while Rika cried inconsolably in the corner, Hanyuu holding the shrine-maiden as if she was scared the girl would break into thousands of pieces. Rena, unable to take the sight and sounds of the rush, had fled to the waiting room for some fresh air, and standing as he was, watching the bloody scene, he didn't have the heart to blame her.

Satoko stifled a little sob, and bit down hard on her lower lip as she attempted to keep her composure. She had yet to see Shion after she had left from the underground dungeon to go on what she innocently called 'an errand', and after watching her friends fall apart after the attack... She was amazed that she was even standing still. She held tight to Keiichi's wrist however, using him as an anchor while she forced her fear to turn into ferocity and belief. "Mion-san... She's strong, isn't she? She can pull through this, I know she can. I know!"

Keiichi winced, her voice was weak but she tried to make it powerful, to make him believe what he already knew. Shaking his head just a bit, he leaned down and touched his forehead to the top of her hair, not wanting to bloody her golden locks with his stained hands. He agreed raggedly, trying to push the worry from his voice and replace it with a courage that he wasn't feeling as he watched. "Yeah... Mion is tough... She can pull through this, is anyone can... She's the club leader, the heiress of the Sonozaki estate... She was born strong." Even as he said it, the memory clawed away at the back of his mind and left him wincing, it had all happened so fast and the moment played through him even now, as it had been ever since it had happened.

_Keiichi only remembered the next few seconds as a blur, a dark and shady haze of pain, disbelief and an anger so white-hot that it was almost blinding. Mion crumpled to the ground before his eyes, blood pouring like a fountain from the gunshot wound in her stomach. He wasn't sure what it was that snapped in him, perhaps it was his sanity or his heart breaking, but then he didn't care._

_Takano was staring at where Mion had fallen, eyes alight with a sickening pleasure. Then she began to laugh, to crow, her hysterical giggles breaking the fragile silence and blocking out the leader's anguished gasps for air. Keiichi locked eyes with the maniac, and then he felt it again, the snap so profound that he wasn't sure of what he was doing until it was already done._

_He'd cleared the distance between them in only a few steps, now he was in front of Mion and near the woman, and he reacted angrily to her laughter. His hand whipped out with more strength than he thought he had, his closed fist smashing against the side of the blond's face. She toppled backwards, cut off mid-giggle, but it didn't appease his newfound fury. He followed her down, hands closing around her bloodied throat._

"_KEIICHI!"_

_Rika ran forward, crying out his name as her hands closed around his arms, tugging him back in an attempt to get him off of Takano. Part of her wondered why she was even bothering, the woman had killed her so many times beforehand it was almost a pleasure to watch her squirm and choke beneath Keiichi's strong hands. Somehow though, in the depths of her fevered mind, she knew it was wrong, knew it was just wrong to see Keiichi stoop to her level, to murder. So she grabbed him, tugging him back as hard as she could, gasping out between grit teeth, "No, don't! Keiichi, you're going to kill her, stop it!"_

"_She should die." Keiichi hissed back, jerking his arm from Rika's shaky grip and tightening his hands around the woman's throat. Her eyes were rolling in her head, body twitching and bucking in a vain attempt to throw him off and it gave him a sick pleasure to see her pain. "Die you psychotic bitch, die."_

"_Keiichi, don't do this, do not sink to her level!" Hanyuu's voice joined Rika's, and unlike her friend's, the tiny goddess' grip was iron around his forearm. A quick glance over her shoulder reassured her that Rena and Satoko were trying to stop the blood flowing from her abdomen, and she yanked fiercely at the crazed boy. "You are not Takano, you can't kill her! Mion needs you, stop this!"_

_Keiichi ignored them both, even when Hanyuu yanked away his left arm. He added pressure with his right, oblivious to her oddly strong grip on him. Takano's breath was coming in shallow bursts until his hands and her lips were beginning to change shades now. He was going to kill her and enjoy every long moment of her death._

"_Kei... chan..."_

_He froze, as though lightning struck and a magnetic pull turned his head from his work to behind him, seeing Mion reaching for him even as her hand shook with pain and was slick with her own blood. He had snapped and believed her to be dead, so much had happened so fast he hadn't even thought twice about the odds that she was actually okay. Too intent on revenge for her murder, he'd lost all sense. Now he stared at her, hands loosening as his throat ached when he whispered, "M-Mion...?"_

_Her eyes were full of pain yet oddly focussed, and she whispered painfully as Rena pushed hard on her wound, stemming the blood flow, "D-Don't... Don't become her Kei-chan... it's not like you." Whimpering when Satoko pulled the makeshift bandages of Rena's torn skirt tightly, she reached again for him and murmured, "Please..."_

"_Mion..." His hands released Takano's throat, and the woman wheezed as he let her go and pushed himself from her. Rika and Hanyuu were quick to stand over her, faces full of violence and threatening her with more pain if she even dared to get to her feet. He didn't even see them as he pulled himself over to her side, watching helplessly as the two girls worked feverishly over her wound. "Mion, you're..."_

"_This...? Heh, it's just a scratch, idiot." Mion forced a chuckle from her throat as he stared down at her wound, even though the pain was beginning to chew black holes into her vision. She stared up at him with a smirk, wishing that she could banish the fear and pain that shone so brilliantly on his boyish face. Wanting more than anything to see him smile, she tried for a weak joke even when her voice cracked with pain, "I'm fine... after all, I am the club leader. This is nothing."_

"Oh my god, Mion!"

Keiichi and Satoko turned as one when they heard the familiar voice of Shion crying out at the doorway at the end of the hall. Keiichi wasn't sure why, but his heart nearly stopped when she stood there, staring past him, eyes wide in terror as her face paled. He had always been struck by the twins' likeness, and now it hit him even harder when Mion was in danger, so close to death that all of her friends were willing to trade their lives for hers. "Sh-Shion...?"

Ignoring the both of them, the teen ran to the window, hands pressing against the glass as her blood froze in her veins. Her sister's eyes were closed and she looked for all the world that she was sleeping, despite the fact that blood was everywhere in the surgery room. Shion gasped and her hands flew to her mouth as she realized what had happened, and tears formed in her eyes as she whispered softly, shaking her head, "No... No, no, sis, no...!"

She looked so much like Mion in that moment, her face wracked with grief and pain as she pressed her hand to the glass, willing her touch to Mion's unconscious body that Keiichi was abruptly overwhelmed with the urge to embrace her. He stood where he was however, knowing that she'd welcome no contact, and so he turned his head away as guilt rushed through him swift and strong. 'I should've protected her instead of her protecting us. This is so wrong...'

Shion looked up when she heard soft sniffling noises coming from her right, and she recognized Satoko's whimpers right away. The girl had let go of Keiichi and her agony had begun anew, and she hugged herself as she began to sob. Confused at this, her eyes focussed on the blood in Satoko's hands, and then to Keiichi, who stood beside her, also wearing blood on his hands, shirt and shorts. Something snapped audibly inside of her, and she looked at her fallen sister and then to the boy who was so obviously covered in her blood. "You son of a–"

She didn't finish her cry but her hands spoke for her, grabbing Keiichi by the collar and punching him viciously in the cheek. He sprawled but her grip on the front of his shirt prevented him from going too far. He never struggled against her hits, merely stood in pained silence and allowed her to hit him, and she took advantage of this to lay down several more harsh strikes. The crimson liquid that stained his hands now flowed freely from a gash in his right cheek, and soon it splattered against the front of Shion's white shirt as she struck him again. Halting between her punches, she shook him angrily and all but shrieked into his face, voice rising with hysteria and fury, "You _bastard_! Protect my sister, that's the only thing I expected of you, and you went and got her _shot_! I'm going to kill you for this Maebara!"

Hanyuu and Rika both were on their feet when she cocked her hand again to punch him, and even Rena had heard the ruckus and had dashed in to see what was happening but Satoko moved faster than any of them and intervened. With surprising ease she tore Shion's hand from his collar and pushed Keiichi backwards, inserting herself neatly between the two teens and guarding the injured boy with her own tiny body.

"Satoko!" Rika cried out sharply, and made to push past Hanyuu to get to her friend but her old companion gripped her wrist and halted her. Turning in alarm to her, she was taken aback by the glint of crimson shining in the girl's eyes, revealing the anger she was attempting to control. Blinking, she whispered shakily, unsure and more than just a little scared, "H-Hanyuu...?"

"Leave them. This is something they both need to settle for themselves. If we intervene, a very important lesson won't be learned." Hanyuu attempted to speak levelly, but both her body and voice betrayed her by the tremble of fury. The gentle throbbing of the light in her eyes brightened for a moment before dimming and going out, and she continued hoarsely, "Keiichi blames himself for Mion's injury and Shion feels guilty for not being there to protect both Mion and Satoko. They both have to come to an understanding by themselves."

"You're... right..." Rika let out a soft breath and turned to see Rena turning her head away, her shoulders hitching with sobs as she caught a glance of the immobile form of their leader. Tugging Hanyuu by the hand, the tiny shrine maiden was quick to get to Rena's side, hugging her around the waist and giving her what little support she could in the midst of her own fear and pain.

"Satoko... move aside." Shion's voice shook as well with rage and agony, but she was very careful to not let her violent urges to get in the way of the girl's safety. She glared hatefully at Keiichi, who wasn't meeting her gaze, or even moving from where he had been pushed. He merely stood there and stared at the floor, allowing his wound to bleed down his face without a single care.

"Nee-nee, can't you see how much Keiichi-san is hurting too?" Satoko questioned very quietly, her voice remarkably level despite how fiercely she was trembling as she held her ground. When Shion didn't answer, still breathing heavily, she grabbed the teenager by her wrists and continued softly, pleadingly as new tears began to form in her eyes, "I don't want to see anyone else get hurt. Too many... too many people I care about have been hurt. No more, please. Don't take another friend from me, nee-nee. Please."

Shion let out a groan of agony when she saw Satoko's tears, sinking to her knees and taking her fiercely into her arms. The girl sobbed softly into her chest, clinging tightly to her embrace, and she nuzzled her lovingly, whispering incoherent words to soothe her stress. Hugging her close to her, she waited until Satoko's sobs had faded to soft whimpers before looking up into the shadowed face of the boy she had struck. Voice remarkably gentle, she spoke, "I want you to tell me everything. Don't leave anything out either, everything from the second I left you to now, I want to know all the details."

Keiichi looked away from the ground, turning his eyes back to where Mion still lay, watching the backs of the doctors who had been working on her for the past hour. His voice hoarse, he walked from where he had been back to the window, placing a hand on the glass as he muttered, "Get Satoko to tell you. I'm not leaving Mion."

"I bet I couldn't get you away from her with a pry bar if that's how stubborn you're going to be with her." Shion muttered sarcastically, though a small part of her heart warmed as she saw the devotion in his face while he stood so firmly by the window. Getting shakily to her feet, she felt Satoko's hand clenching tightly at her skirt, and with some effort she kept her voice gentle as she placed her hand on her shoulder, "I'm alright... I won't hit him again... for now."

"Shion... That's really not funny." Satoko mumbled, but part of her mouth twitched anyway into a feeble smile when Shion ruffled her hair. Nuzzling against her waist, she held onto her tightly and murmured softly, "I'm glad you're back... You're not hurt, are you? Or Kasai?"

"No, we're both alright." Shion answered firmly, though she bit her lip as she thought longingly of Satoshi. It seemed so strange that he was below her feet, so close and yet so far away. Her touch gentling remarkably, she murmured inwardly, 'I wish I could tell you Satoko... but it would just hurt you to know that it may take so long... I'll be here though, for every day, every month and every year it may take.' Turning to gaze at Keiichi, she only then noticed that the blood on his shirt and shorts had dried, and despite herself she asked in confusion, "Did you... carry Sis to the clinic?"

"Yeah. I carried her here." Keiichi answered robotically, though his body shivered as he remembered Mion feebly clutching at the front of his shirt, gasping for air in his ear as he sprinted down the hill to the clinic. It still seemed so far away from him, as if he hadn't truly done it, but merely grasping his own hands and feeling the drying blood reminded him all too painfully that it had happened. Quietly, bitterly, he added, "I don't even know if I made it in time."

"If you talk like that, Sis will definitely kick your ass when she wakes up." Shion waved away his last comment with a small smile, and rather relished the way he turned to look at her in complete astonishment. A smirk growing on her lips, she placed her hands on her hips and scolded him thoroughly, "She'll kick your ass anyway for making her seem like a damsel in distress, so you'll just be asking for twice the punishment. If you doubt for one second that Mion Sonozaki can't handle this, then you really don't know my sister. This girl tore off three of her own fingernails because she wanted to suffer as I did, and she endured a hell of a lot more than just one gunshot wound to get to where she is today." Her eyes narrowing, she pointed to where her sister lay beyond the glass and added fiercely, "She will get through this and she'll make you eat those words Keiichi Maebara even if she has to do it with a cane! _That_ is the woman my sister is and you better believe that!"

Keiichi felt it bubbling in his throat, but even then it surprised him when he began to chuckle. Shion looked so stunningly like her twin that it was almost hilarious, but her words struck him in the core and he knew them to be true. She would be angry with him for ever doubting her, she would fake anger that he'd saved her life, all the while preening awkwardly over the praise and annoyance. He shook his head with wry amusement and muttered under his breath, "She would, wouldn't she...? I guess I'll have to expect a hell of a punishment game when she wakes up... She'll make me wish I've never been born if she hears what I've been doing..."

"Damn right she will."

**AN**

**... It's still crap. XD I won't lie though, I wasn't expecting one review, let alone six. So it made writing the second part very very nerve-wracking. In that same vein however, it made me want to expand on this and not make it a simple three-shot but maybe something a wee bit longer. It will not be a full-fledged story but a three-shot definitely is out of the question considering how much more I want to add. So there you go I suppose, lol. I ended up really screwing this chapter though, that makes me sad... So the next one will be even worse, if you go by my standards anyway. Woot for me kfcing canon?**

**Don't hurt me.**

**Sky**


	3. Overheard Conversations

Shion sighed, glancing towards where Keiichi had been sitting for nearly the last hour and despite herself, she felt the corners of her mouth twitch into a smile. He had kept true to his word, refusing to leave Mion's side, even though the visiting hours had long since passed for all of them. Irie had been unable to budge him, and when the rest of the club wholeheartedly backed up his assertion to stay until Mion regained consciousness, he had finally given in and allowed them to remain.

Now, she watched with a mix of affection and exasperation as his hand rhythmically stroked Mion's hair, violet eyes never leaving her sleeping face for an instant. She couldn't lie that seeing this touching scene rather pleased her, but it also sent a bit of annoyance through her at the same time. 'After what felt like forever, only when she gets shot he finally realizes how much of an ass he can be... I really wish I could punch him a few more times for that... But... Sis looks like she could be enjoying it...'

As if she had sensed her thought, Mion murmured something in her sleep, turning her head a little towards Keiichi before she settled again. The boy looked honestly surprised, then his face reddened when he noticed the way her upper lip curled into what could very well have been a smile. Sighing softly, her gentle breathing returned to normal and she slept on, oblivious of the crowd gathered in the tiny room.

Shion couldn't help but smile as she glanced quickly around the assembled chairs, taking stock of who was completely out for the count. Satoko had been asleep in her lap for a full forty minutes, while Rena was boxed in comfortably between a fitfully sleeping Rika and an unconscious Hanyuu. While Shion had been content to keep her place at the far end of the room, Keiichi had moved his own seat right up to Mion's bedside and hadn't left it since she had been declared stable.

'It was touch and go for almost two hours of surgery... I think it killed all of us a little.' Shion mused to herself, absently fingering Satoko's blond hair as she watched her twin and the boy who had saved her. She could still remember Irie's exhausted but somewhat pleased expression as he left the surgery room and announced that Mion was stable and now was simply sleeping off the large dose of morphine she had been given. He'd explained she could very well sleep for an entire twenty-four hours after the shock of her injury, yet none of them had felt secure enough to leave, wanting to be there for every second she was under.

The gentle clicking of the clock caught her attention, and tiredly she raised her eyes to check the time. 'Wow... It's so late... Everyone else but Keiichi got something to eat and drink... He must be starving right now.' Carefully, so not to wake her, Shion settled Satoko onto the next chair, wrapping her coat tenderly around the little girl before she walked to Keiichi's side and lightly tapped her fingers against his head. "Hey... C'mon, you need to eat something and move about a little."

"I don't–" Keiichi began in a low grumble, only to be cut off when she rapped him sharply in the head with one hand, while she placed one finger so casually over his mouth to shut him up.

"You want to be there for when she wakes up, I know, but do you also know how pissed she'll be if you don't take care of yourself in the meantime?" Shion scolded, taking him by the arm and yanking him up from where he had been sitting. He struggled only a little, but for the most part he allowed himself to be led away and into the waiting room where the vending machines were.

Idly reaching into her pocket, she picked out a few coins and placed it in his outstretched hand, nodding towards the nearest dispenser without another word. She was grateful that he didn't argue and sat down on the long bench as he busied himself with finding some sort of nutrition. Watching him closely, she was surprised to see how weary he looked, despite the fierce expressions he had worn for the first hour or so of Mion's treatment, he looked as though he'd aged at least fifteen years.

Keiichi knew she was watching him, so he made a dramatic show of picking a sandwich from the rack, inserting the coins and retrieving it. He plopped himself down on an opposite bench and dug in, barely even tasting the bread and cheese as he chewed and swallowed robotically. His stomach accepted the food with a savage growl, and he smiled rather ruefully to himself. 'I've been starving and never said a word but she still knew anyway...'

Watching his expression, the girl was almost compelled to begin speaking but words failed her when he raised his eyes to her face. She had seen him sneak glances at her several times during the waiting, he had almost refused to look at her head-on for almost the full time. She couldn't blame him, she knew her very appearance had to hurt him when the one he wanted to see wasn't the one he looked at. 'I almost wish I _was_ Mion so he wouldn't look so depressed. It's wrong on his face.'

As soon as he looked at her, she looked away, folding her hands in her lap and busying herself with picking invisible dirt from her perfect fingernails. Keiichi jerked visibly then as he remembered her words, so loud and urging as she demanded he forget about his worries and have faith in Mion's strength. Quietly, hesitantly as he knew it would pick at old wounds, he asked, "Hey... Shion... You said that Mion tore off her own fingernails because she wanted to suffer like you had. What was all that about?"

Shion grinned rather bitterly, his question striking painful chords in both her head and heart. She glanced down at her hand, admiring the nails that grew so normally now and let out a sigh. She remembered a time that she had bitterly kept them bandaged, making an effort to hide her hand at all costs to avoid showing the outside world her pain. She looked up and met inquisitive violet eyes, took a deep breath and murmured, "Kei-chan... You know about Satoshi-kun, right?"

"Yeah. I know a bit about him."

"Well... I... I was... I _am_..." Shion laughed sheepishly and ran a hand over her face, as if she could rub away the blush that was forming in her cheeks. It seemed so strange to say the words aloud, when she had hung onto them so zealously over the last year. She had all but told him outright already, and using that thought to give her courage, she explained in a rush, "I love him. When that news got out among my family, well, they didn't take it too well. It was bad enough that I'd ditched school up in the city to come to Okinomiya, but then to be seen around with the son of the Hojo family that fought with my family...? Well, long story short, I made a _lot_ of people angry."

"But what does that...?" Keiichi couldn't finish, watching the way she brushed at her nails, face grim as she remembered the painful events. His mind completed the story without her needing to speak, and he asked quietly, in horror, "They stripped off your nails for falling in love with Satoshi? Seriously?"

"Heh, truth be told, I stripped off one of my own, when I couldn't do it anymore they did the last two." Shion clarified wryly, raising her index finger to her mouth and nipping at it out of habit. Running her free hand through her loose hair, she continued somewhat meekly, "I told them all how I felt about him, that I didn't care that he was a Hojo, that I was a Sonozaki... then I had to distinguish myself to be forgiven, it cost me three nails."

"But... Mion...?"

"I'm a burden to the Sonozaki family, Keiichi. The younger twin, by all rights I was supposed to be killed when I was born." Shion explained very quietly, tasting the bitter words on her tongue as she spoke them. She felt no hatred for her sister as she uttered the words she had come to accept as the truth, she had always known that Mion never asked to be the firstborn, to have the demon branded into her back. It was the luck of the draw and she had failed in her pick. "Mion was allowed into all the family meetings, she was raised to be the next heir, she was even branded with the mark of the demon to prove that she was the next successor... Mion always hated seeing me maltreated, even as a kid she'd try to sneak me into the meetings somehow. She was the one who decided we could switch places at the meetings, at school, at work even... She wasn't just my twin, she was my _friend_. I know it sounds stupid but... Mion ripped out three of her own nails because she wanted us to match again, because she wanted to feel my pain, like she's always been trying to. That's my sister Kei-chan, _that_ is Mion. The stupid, arrogant, loud and crass _idiot_ that has my face."

"That sounds just like her." Keiichi muttered under his breath, shaking his head sadly as the horrible thought echoed in his mind. Though he could only imagine how the torture was carried out, he knew that Mion would have done it with a scowl or a grin, eager and determined to fight her way through it for the sake of something else. Looking up into the tired face of the girl who looked so much like Mion, he commented quietly, "You really love her..."

Much to his surprise, Shion pinked in the face and smiled rather sheepishly, rubbing at her nose as if embarrassed. Laughing wearily, she hugged herself and idly kicked her feet, glancing down the hall as if she could find more words there. Her cheerful mood disappeared instantly when she caught sight of the visitors arriving at the entrance and she was on her feet in seconds, jaw dropping as she gasped, "M-Mother! Father!"

"Huh?" Keiichi jumped to his feet as well, then his jaw dropped too when he saw the two adults walking so calmly towards them. The woman he recognized, the bright emerald hair was irreplaceable, even if it was tied up into as tight and professional-looking bun. She wore a full-length kimono, the dark fabric clinging tightly to her body in all the right places and he was abruptly reminded that this woman had to be the mother of the twins. Forcing his eyes away from her, he was truly taken aback by the man at her left, he looked entirely different from the woman, wearing a crisp business suit, his beard shaved down to a small tuft on his face and eyes dark and serious as he held his wife's arm in his own. Swallowing back his shock, and the fear that robbed him of his breath, he turned to the shell-shocked Shion and asked her hoarsely, "These are your parents, Shion?"

"Mother... Father..." Shion whispered, unable to move as the duo walked towards her with identical expressions of indifference on their faces. She was well-aware of feeling remarkably smaller than she had ever felt before, and she reacted instinctively when they finally came close enough to touch her. Throwing her head down, she closed her eyes tightly against the wave of tears that sprung to her eyes as humiliation washed through her, swift and strong as the guilt and pain she had bottled up. "I'm sorry!"

"Shion? What the...?" Keiichi blinked, taken aback by her sudden change of attitude. He found it remarkably hard to believe that the girl beside him had nearly beaten his face in, as she had turned into a docile kitten at the sight of her family. She was bowing towards the two, face red and tears streaming from her face to splatter to the ground and the first thing she had done was apologize. 'Who are these people...?'

"I... I know that right now you wish I was the one who'd gotten shot." Shion hurried through her words clumsily, hating herself for each stammer she made and her inability to look her parents in the face. It was instinctual to apologize, to fiercely wish that she and her sister had switched places again, so her parents wouldn't have to worry so vehemently for the next heir. 'Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why wasn't it me? Stupid Sis, you have so much going for you, why did you have to get yourself shot!' Closing her eyes as she forced her tears back, she continued hastily, scrambling to recover herself and keep herself as a Sonozaki and not a teenager, "I know that I'm nothing but trouble to you, and I'm so sorry that it wasn't me who got hurt. I really do wish that right now it was me who'd been hurt and that Mion was standing in front of you right now, I really do Mother!"

Keiichi blinked in horror, her words cutting through his own guilt and pain to make him realize just how much Shion truly did love her sister. She looked utterly humiliated by saying those words, but he could hear no lie in her voice, just an earnest sincerity that hurt her deeply. He had heard rumours of Shion's maltreatment because of being the youngest twin, but this seemed to go past everything he had ever dared to believe. 'Shion... How... How could you say those things? After everything that you told me, after hitting me...? Are you seriously that scared of your family?'

"You stupid, stupid child." The woman murmured softly, freeing her arm from the man's and touching her daughter's face tenderly with her fingers. Shion looked up in shock, tears still running freely down her face, and the woman drew her tightly to her chest, embracing her fully. Hugging her closely, Akane bowed her head against Shion's neck and whispered into her ear, "How could any parent wish the tragedy of one child onto another? I would _never_ wish this on either of my children, Shion. Do you truly believe that Mion means more to me than you do? Simply because of what Oryou-sama decreed with your birth? You stupid child, how could you be so blinded?"

"M-Mother..." Shion murmured brokenly, then she couldn't help it anymore and broke down sobbing into the front of her mother's clothes. Her father drew her close as well, the three drawing into an embrace that left Keiichi feeling rather embarrassed to watch. Shion whimpered into the hold, clinging tightly to the both of them as she sobbed and tried to speak but ended up coming out with nothing but incoherent words.

Keiichi looked away from the sight, biting down on his tongue in an effort to keep silent. The anger he had felt at the sight of Shion's sudden submissiveness had faded at the show of parental love, and he was glad to see that at least her mother and father truly didn't give a damn about who was born first or second when it came to loving their children. When Shion's sobs faded off to whimpers and finally to an embarrassed silence he fought the urge to look and waited with his eyes trained on the floor instead as his own emotional turmoil returned. 'Mion's parents... Do they... Do they know why she was hurt? I...'

"Keiichi Maebara...san?" Akane's voice was somewhat hesitant, yet still held the respectful air that he had expected as she spoke his name. He looked up immediately, standing at attention and meeting her cool green eyes that seemed to piece his entire body. Noticing his tension, the woman took in a deep breath and settled her arm protectively around her daughter's shoulders as she questioned quietly, "You _are_ Keiichi Maebara-san, correct?"

"Yes."

"Our daughter speaks constantly of you." The man spoke quietly, his voice polite yet still surprisingly powerful. The boy's eyes were hard yet filled with an anguish that he perfectly understood, and he continued, "Both of them actually... I am pleased to meet you, however I do wish that the circumstances weren't such as these..."

Keiichi winced, and again he felt the guilt welling up until it filled his entire body and made it a battle just to breathe. They were watching him with respect and politeness, and that only fuelled the fire of pain in him. 'They don't know!' He wanted to buckle, to scream and cry out until they understood, yet he knew it would only shock them if he came at them angrily. Closing his eyes tightly, he did the only thing he could think of and fell to his knees in front of them, bowing his body until his forehead touched the cold flooring. Unable to look up at them, he whispered through grit teeth, "It's my fault that Mion is hurt right now. I couldn't protect her, and she ended up protecting all of us and that's how she got hurt. Takano was going to shoot one of us and she stepped up because she thought it was her job. I should have fought, I should've protected her but instead she defended _me_. If you need to punish someone for her injury, I want you to know that I'm the one who's guilty. It's my fault."

"Kei-chan, what do you mean! Mion did it because she–" Shion cut herself off, pinking in the face as she remembered her sister's only wish, to keep her feelings a secret until she was ready to say them herself. Grimacing under this stress, she had to remind herself that she'd broken that law already and knelt beside him and tried to jerk him to his feet. He pulled away from her, intent on bowing at the feet of her parents, and she felt her humiliation returning tenfold, but this time for him. "Keiichi quit it! You look like an idiot! Do you really think they blame you? Mion would have done it even if she wasn't the club leader, even if she wasn't the oldest, you know that! Get up!"

"You really blame yourself for what happened to my daughter?" Akane asked seriously, her eyes narrowing as she looked down at the boy who pressed himself at her feet, desperate and torn in agony. She didn't need to see his face to read him, the way his shoulders shook and the pain in his voice let her know everything and it was a struggle to keep herself from smiling. 'I can see why she speaks so highly of you, Maebara-san...' Instead of voicing these thoughts aloud, she kept her face immobile and asked, "Why do you kneel? Why would you, the one who saved both of my daughters, kneel at my feet? You, Maebara-san, should kneel to no one."

"Mother?" Shion blinked, alarmed by the gentleness she was hearing in the woman's voice. She was even more startled when she knelt by Keiichi's side, extending her hand to him to help him to his feet. He looked up and yet again she received a third shock, tears were shining in his eyes. Shaking her head, she had to grip a chair for support, entirely knocked off-kilter. 'I think I've been transported into another world. If our demon granny bursts in and thanks him, I'll know I've lost it.'

Suddenly feeling rather out of place, she all but ran from her parents and Keiichi, hurrying into her sister's room down the hall. 'It's so strange...' She pushed open the door to the room and ran headlong into a figure her height. "Oh!" Mistaking the girl to be Rena, Shion quickly shook her head and helped steady her by the shoulders, muttering, "Sorry Rena, I didn't look where I was–"

She cut herself off mid-sentence when she finally met eyes that looked so much like her own. Mion was standing shakily at the doorway, hands pressed tightly against her mouth and frame shivering with pain. It only took her a moment to realize that her twin had overheard everything outside, and she didn't think twice to embrace her tightly. "Oh Sis... I'm sorry you had to hear that."

"Kei-chan really... He really blames himself for what happened to me?" Mion asked softly, her voice muffled by her twin's shoulder as she clutched her tightly for both balance and support. Shion just nodded and Mion let out a soft groan that had nothing to do with the wound in her side. She shook her head rapidly, though it dizzied her as the drugs she'd been injected with had yet to wear off, and growled through grit teeth, "That idiot! What the hell is he thinking, bowing down to our parents? What's in his head?"

"Not much beyond lewd thoughts." Shion attempted to joke, but she knew by Mion's already upset state that she wouldn't take it lightly. Her sister let out a whimper mixed with a giggle, and Shion held her all the tighter, mindful of the wound in her side. She carefully led Mion back to the cot, sitting down beside her and wrapping her arm protectively around her shoulders, voice low, "Sis, you can't get out of bed like that. You're wounded, and what you overheard obviously upset you. Though to be honest I don't get why, the image of Kei-chan bowing at your feet should please you."

It worked, Mion snorted and shook her head, even though she had closed her eyes and imagined it without really wanting to. She leaned slightly on Shion's shoulder, letting out a weary sigh as her hand touched her bandaged wound, feeling the stitches poking through the padding. Even something as simple as giggling pulled at her stitches, and trying to avoid that she muttered, "Laughing hurts... Cut the joking, Shion."

"Alright, alright, as long as you promise to not get out of bed again, you could've reopened your wound." Shion agreed with a wave of her hand, settling her sister back into a comfortable position on the small cot. Knowing that it annoyed the normally active girl, she tapped her sharply on the nose and threatened, "If you try to sneak out again, I'll have Satoko set traps on the bed that involve rather unpleasant things happening to you and possibly to Kei-chan."

Mion rolled her eyes, knowing that while her twin was probably completely serious, she was also trying to elicit a smile. Settling back rather awkwardly against the thick pillows, she instead decided to change the subject by turning her attention to the sleeping quad at the opposite end of the room. "How long have they been here? It doesn't look like any of them even bothered going home and get a change of clothes after our stroll in the mountains."

"That's because none of them did. We ate here, and apparently decided to sleep here." Shion explained with a rueful grin, indicating to the lightly snoring Satoko and the completely unconscious Rena. Her eyes rested however on both Rika and Hanyuu, mouth thinning into a frown when she murmured, "Rika-chan has been inconsolable since you were admitted. This is the first time I've seen her stop crying, even when Dr Irie told her that you were stable she burst out sobbing all over again... I think she was really scared."

"Figures she'd think I'd die." Mion rolled her eyes, keeping her voice rough and sarcastic but the affection in her voice was unmistakable. She watched Rika sadly, and absently touched her wound as she mumbled, "I scared all of you guys, especially Kei-chan. Man, I feel like the world's biggest idiot."

"Well, I won't contest that–" Shion began with a huge grin, ducking promptly to avoid getting smacked in the head by her sister. Though injured her reflexes seemed to have returned, though the attempt to strike out seemed to have pained her regardless. Placing her hands patiently over those of her sister's, she continued teasingly, "but in all seriousness, Sis... You scared us because we love you, that's all."

"Don't say that, it's embarrassing." Mion grunted, her face reddening a shade as she glanced worriedly around the room to make sure no one had overheard. She could hear the faint voices of her parents and Keiichi speaking outside, and the thought made her bite on her lower lip. Shion watched her closely, waiting, and the older of the twins finally murmured, "Uh... Don't tell Kei-chan that I overheard all of that, will you? I don't want him to know that I was awake. It'd embarrass the hell out of him."

"You're more worried about his feelings? Jeez sis, what a lousy time to start acting like a girl." Shion griped sadly, shaking her head as if she had just watched her sister continue to make the same mistake ten times in a row. Mion blushed red again and she couldn't remain annoyed, instead she hugged her and added sweetly, "But I guess since you've finally started acting like one, I should congratulate you. You've got the damsel in distress thing down already too."

"Okay I can take the acting like a girl comment but who the _hell_ said I was a damsel in distress?"

"Do you..." Shion began with some surprise, blinking at the surprisingly violent expression on the face that was so much like her own. Mion looked positively bloodthirsty that someone had ruined her independent reputation, and for a second that left her sister completely bewildered. "Do you not remember how you got here...?"

Mion's scowl flickered than faded, replaced with a pained expression of thought as she wracked her mind. It was all black as she tried to search through her jumbled memories, she only knew standing between her friends and Takano and than a gunshot... After that the pain had become too intense and she only knew darkness. She shook her head, muttering "No... I don't remember anything after being shot, it's all a huge blur in my head. I must have hit it when I fell or something, I honestly have no idea how I got here or what happened after that."

'So she has no idea what Kei-chan did to save her, or how he snapped on Takano-san when he thought she was dead...' Shion mused silently, biting at her thumb as she thought seriously of her options. Knowing fully well how much her sister already loved him, she wondered if it would hinder or aid her sister if she revealed the facts herself. 'It might be better if Keiichi told her, but he's a bit of an idiot, he'll just keep pressing that it's his fault she got hurt and won't tell her that he saved her... Gah, the options!'

"Sis, do you know what happened? Did someone tell you all the details?"

"Well someone had to, I mean I come back to see you in the operating room, totally drenched in your own blood. Do you seriously think I wasn't going to ask questions? I nearly killed Keiichi because I thought it was his fault." Shion realized her mistake too late and her hands flew up to shut her mouth but Mion had heard every word. All but jumping from the cot as if it was made of fire, she waved her hands rapidly in the air to ward off her sister's volatile temper. "Whoa, whoa, wait a second, I didn't hurt him all that much! I was panicked, it was a natural reaction, you'd have done it too if it was me! He was standing at the window covered in your blood, I jumped to conclusions and socked him, that's all, seriously!"

"Covered in my...?" Mion repeated, confused before her face turned red as her mind made its own conclusions. "Oh!" Glancing at her friends, she found the proof, though Rena and Satoko did indeed have bloodstains on their clothes, neither girl had nearly enough to have helped her to the clinic. Rather timid to ask for the answer aloud, she only turned to Shion and stared helplessly into the eyes that were so much like her own.

Shion bit her lower lip, glancing from her sister to the doorway and wondered if Keiichi would return to interrupt her explanation. Rubbing at the back of her neck she tried to make a quick decision but she only ended up in worse confusion. 'Ughn, tell her and let her think for herself or let Kei-chan guilt trip himself until she pretty much has no choice but to believe him...? Damn, both would work well but...' "Okay, okay... I'll tell you as much as I know."

**AN**

**Hehe, I'm actually somewhat pleased with this chapter, this time around anyway. There's still more to come, to be honest I don't know exactly how I'm going to wrap it all up, but I like what I'm doing right now so there's no reason to quit, ne? Hmm, lessee... Ah, yes I know it seems to be focussed mainly on the twins at the moment, but there is fluff to come in the coming chapters, just to let you know that. It takes some time XD Anyway, thank you sincerely to all of those who have reviewed beforehand, and I hope to continue to meet your expectations for further chapters!**

**Sky**


	4. Up On the Roof

She knew the risks of what she was doing, yet at the same time, Mion Sonozaki didn't really care about the risks. She had never particularly enjoyed rules, and had personally always assumed they were made to be broken. Such as it was with her twin sister, and such as it was with her life. So, with this thought in mind, Mion swung her legs over the edge of her bed and touched the cold floor with her bare feet.

She didn't leave the cot right away, though every muscle in her body ached for freedom. Instead, she sat quietly on the side of her bed, examining the empty chairs that her friends had once filled. It had taken almost an hour, an hour full of arguing so vehement that eventually Dr Irie had demanded that for her health to listen, to convince her friends to leave her at the hospital and attend the Watanagashi without her. Not to her surprise, Rika and Shion had fought most harshly to remain, with a passive Rena and Hanyuu finally wheedling away at the cracks in their armour before they conceded defeat. Even while leaving, her twin sister had turned around and fixed her with a glare so fierce that Mion was unexpectedly reminded of her grandmother.

"_Do not leave your bed."_

Mion's feet scraped silently against the cold linoleum of the floor, weighing her options in the silence of her room. She knew full well that Shion's threat had not been empty. No doubt Satoko had rigged some sort of trap to keep her contained. However, those things were merely small shadows in her mind, as it kept dancing back to the one face she had _not_ seen since she'd awoken.

'I don't even know what the hell I was expecting, honestly...' Mion mused bitterly as his face flashed like neon in her mind, rekindling a pain she wished would vanish. Idly tugging at her ponytail, she spoke aloud to no one, desperately wishing she had an answer to her question, "What, like he'd be by my bedside when I woke up, crying and telling me how happy he is to see me awake, how scared he was...? Damn Mion, talk about setting yourself up for failure. He wouldn't be here."

Still... She could hear his voice echoing in her ears, the proud words that only he could speak, especially to those above him in class. He had knelt before her parents and accepted blame they had not laid, insisting upon his guilt even when they denied it of him. Her heart gave a painful throb against her ribcage, and without thinking she raised her hand to her heart only to hiss when her stitches pulled dangerously.

"Ow... Damn Takano, you couldn't hit me in the arm or the leg, could you?" Mion cursed under her breath, sliding herself elegantly from the bed to rest on her own two feet for the second time since she had been admitted. She liked the feeling of standing on her own, she couldn't even begin to describe how much she loathed the cot she was confined to. 'Which is exactly why they told me to stay in bed...' She added mischievously to herself, taking an experimental step forward. She had taken too long a stride, her abdomen cried out in pain and she immediately had to clutch at her side and gasp for a breath of air.

The shock passed in a moment, but the stinging remained, a reminder to use caution. This time her step was much more measured and small, and only the faintest of pulls at her stitches happened this time. Somewhat relived by this, she tried again, testing her limits rather gingerly. Her normal stride was too much for her side, and only half of that caused her no pain at all. Deciding it was best not to push her limits too much, she remained with her half and slowly made her way to the door.

In the doorway, just a step from the hall, she felt the wire against her ankle. Two words resounded loudly in her head and she spoke them aloud as her body tensed for a wave of oncoming punishment. "Oh shit." She didn't want to look up when she heard the snap of something breaking just above her head, and her eyes squeezed shut as she prepared for something to come plummeting at her from any angle. She knew Satoko's traps well, and while she prided herself on rarely being caught, she had suffered quite a few times from the blond's exquisite handiwork. She expected nothing less than the best from her prized club member, and bit down on her lower lip in fearful anticipation for the blow... that never came.

Confused, Mion looked up in time to see something soft and white fall onto her nose and obscure her vision for a split moment. Raising her right hand so not to pull at her stitches, she plucked it away to see that a flurry of flower petals were raining down on her. Her fearful grimace transformed into a smile, and she giggled as the petals landed in her hair and whispered delicately across her face. "Satoko... You little imp..."

A full flower has been hidden away in her trap, and it landed square in Mion's open hands, with a small scroll of parchment wrapped around the stem. Unwinding the note and idly placing the flower behind her ear, she read her twin's familiar script on the scrap of paper.

_Next time you won't be so lucky. Don't go too far Sis, or we'll know. Just be careful, and there's some ice on the rooftop for you, just in case you make it up there. Dr Irie wants you back in bed before the festival ends, got it?_

Mion couldn't hold back her snort of laughter as she hugged the letter close to her heart, almost feeling the tenderness of her sister's words. Who knew her better than her own twin? Touching the blossom at her ear, she tucked the paper against her bra and then absently plucked at the loose t-shirt she had been wearing. Rena had handed it to her before she had left, adding sheepishly that she knew that Mion despised hospital gowns, as did most who had to wear them. When asked where she had gotten the clothes from, the auburn haired girl had merely shaken her head and smiled mysteriously, handing over a pair of sweatpants too.

"_It's a secret, okay? They might be just a little baggy on you, but it's better than that hospital gown that you don't like. You sure looked cute in that anyway though, you did, you did!"_

It had hurt her fuzzy mind then to give it too much thought, but as she touched the collar of the white shirt she couldn't help but be curious. The scent of fresh air pushed that curiosity away however, and Mion immediately grinned as she tasted her freedom. Careful to keep herself somewhat contained, she started slowly for the stairs to the roof, wanting nothing more than a perfect view in the late air.

'I've been here for hours, haven't I...? Almost the entire day, the festival should be half over now. I wonder if Rika-chan is dancing yet?' Climbing the stairs was much more of a task than she had expected, every step as though she was climbing a mountain. Pacing herself was annoying, but she knew it was for the best and continued onwards with a patience she didn't really feel. It was all worth it however when she finally reached the top, and opening the door to the roof was almost like dying all over again and entering an utopia.

"Ah... Now _this_ almost makes getting shot worth it." Mion sighed pleasantly, taking in a greedy breath of the fresh outside air. It was dark and she could barely see the lights of the festival at the other end of the village. Part of her heart ached as she thought of her friends enjoying the festivities, and she reminded herself with a grumble, "I told them to go... Rika may not have admitted it but she does like doing the dance ever year for the villagers, and it'll be Kei-chan's and Hanyuu's first time at the festival..."

Raising her hand, she touched the blossom behind her ear and wondered absently how they were all faring. She knew that with Shion and Rena there, they would be working hard to give some sort of glee to the remaining members, to have at least a smile on everyone's face. Though the past few days had been terrible, the battle was over and peace had again returned to Hinamizawa. She held the wound in her side and whispered into the night,"If anybody deserves a good few days, it's definitely us... Have fun out there for me, will you guys? This old man really would hate for you to worry about me when you're supposed to be representing the club... Go nuts."

"Not everyone thinks like you do, Mion."

Mion jumped in alarm and her face reddened sharply as she whirled to see Keiichi standing at the doorway, one hand behind his back and a strangely sad smile on his face. Suddenly very self-conscious, she tugged at the ill-fitting t-shirt and stared nervously at the ground. Now, when he was there, Shion's words echoed rather loudly in her ear, trying to bring back memories that were still submerged in darkness.

"_He went crazy apparently. Rika told me he nearly strangled Takano because he thought you were dead, no one could stop him until you called out for him. He left her and went over to you, and when Rena-san and Satoko tied you up well enough to be moved, he hoisted you on his back and carried you all the way to the clinic. Even when some men told him to drop you, he just snarled at them like some animal. Nobody argued with him."_

"_I don't... remember any of that." Mion mumbled to the floor, too scared to raise her eyes to see the truth or lie in her twin sister's face. The words were honest and eager, and she knew that Shion wouldn't lie to her about something so important. Wracking her mind was a painful venture in itself, the memory was still pushed somewhere in the back of her mind and refused to be found. "I seriously don't remember any of it..."_

"H-Hey Kei-chan..." Mion stammered now, angrily aware that her face was reddening sharply with each moment that they stood facing each other. She couldn't look up to see his expression, too self-conscious, and she hated herself for it. Desperate to find something to ward off her nervousness, she laughed sheepishly and gestured to the festival, "Why aren't you with the gang at the party? Don't you want to see Rika-chan's dance?"

"I'll catch it next year. I didn't really feel like partying." Keiichi answered somewhat sheepishly himself, finally drawing Mion's curious gaze. Much to her surprise and hidden delight, his cheeks were pink as well and he wasn't looking at her. He rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand, the other securely hidden behind his back, and he asked weakly, "Why aren't you in bed, Mion? You shouldn't be walking around like that, you know it's bad for you."

"I don't like being holed up, I needed the fresh air." Mion answered with a shrug, though she was deeply touched by the concern in his voice. She gave him her back and looked out over the village, chewing on her lower lip as her mind throbbed painfully. She heard his footsteps behind her and knew he was going to stand beside her, but she still couldn't look up at him. Leaning on the railing at the edge of the roof, the teenager let out a soft sigh and murmured, "Besides... I kinda feel bad for sleeping while Rika-chan is working her butt off. I should be there too, not just as Mion Sonozaki, but as a friend."

"Nobody blames you for having to stay here, you know that." Keiichi scolded her gently, not fond of her disappointment. She looked so downcast, so unlike the jaunty fun-loving girl he had come to be so fond over. Her hand clutched gingerly at the wound in her side, sending a flare of pain through his body. It all replayed so cleanly in his head, and the guilt surged up into him once more in a painful reminder. His hand tightened behind his back, and sheepishly, he dropped his gaze. "Uh... Hey, Mion, there's... There's something I want to talk to you about, if you want to listen..."

"Something you wanna talk about?" Mion repeated curiously, turning her head to glance at his expression. His hair shadowed his face unfortunately, but a strange sense of foreboding warned her that the conversation would not be lighthearted. Still, wanting to hear him, she shuffled just a little bit closer and asked gently, "Sure... I'll listen. What is it Kei-chan?"

"Are you... your wound... it's not... hurting you a lot right now, is it?" Keiichi questioned hesitantly, grimacing when he saw her face fall at his words. Her hand tightened just a little on her side and he kicked himself soundly for his lack of tact. Her eyes closed for a long moment and when they opened he saw a sadness that left him confused and horrified. Immediately contrite, he turned to her and burst out, "I-I'm sorry Mion, that was stupid of me! I shouldn't have opened my big mouth, I know it's my fault that you got hurt and of course it'll be killing you and all!"

"Kei-chan, why are you talking like that?" Mion cut him off suddenly, shaking her head as she too turned to him. He looked like he'd been struck across the face, but she couldn't find it in herself to relish that expression. Instead, her mouth softened into an exasperated smile, and she explained gently, "Look idiot, I don't blame you for my getting shot. I told you, nothing made me happier than to shield all of you from harm, that's my job as the club leader. No one gets to put a hand on my friends."

Gritting his teeth, it was a battle for Keiichi to control his annoyance with her carefree explanation. The barely-scabbed over gash in his cheek strained with his sudden scowl, but he ignored his own pain at the sight of hers. He knew she was hurting and she was trying to brush it off for his sake and that only made him angrier. His empty hand settled on her shoulder and squeezed carefully, weary of her pain and he said shortly, "You're not the club leader when you do stuff like that and you know it. Even if you weren't the leader, or a Sonozaki, you'd have done it anyway. Even then, it wasn't right for you to put yourself in that position for all of us. I... I should have stepped up instead."

"Feh, you're such a man." Mion rolled her eyes to the sky, feeling her face heating up with his sincere words. He couldn't lie and she knew him well enough to know that his earnestness could not be doubted. She could still hear her mother speaking to him and his pained confession of guilt, and it only made her more desperate to turn him from that path. Avidly aware of his hand on her shoulder, she tried to joke, "Seriously Kei-chan, just because you're a guy and we're all girls, it doesn't mean you need to be some knight in shining armour for all of us. I respect your pride and all, but I did what I did and that's that. I'm sorry if I dented your pride as a man if that's the case, but I just didn't want to see you get shot."

"Dammit Mion, why are you so _dense_!?" Keiichi burst out angrily, now entirely annoyed and unable to hold it back anymore. Her expression was one of honest shock and reproach, and this time he didn't know restraint. Giving her one single shake with his hand, he released her shoulders and gripped her by the chin, staring resolutely into her wide green eyes. Her shock astounded him, and exasperated him more than her confusion by his clumsy words. He explained hotly, almost touching noses with her in an effort to portray his meaning, "I wasn't trying to be some knight for _everyone_, that's not why I feel like it's my fault! _I_ should have protected _you_ instead of _you_ protecting _me_!"

"K-K-Kei-chan, what...?"

"Shit Mion, after what Shion told me, all I could think about was making sure I got you back home safely." Keiichi groaned and tugged her into his arm, still hiding his other behind his back unconsciously. She squeaked in alarm when she landed safely in his chest, and he pressed his face against her neck as her hands flew up to his shoulders. The words of her twin had been rushed but their meaning was clear. While it had shocked him at the time, and gave him quite a stroke to his ego, now it made so much sense that it was nearly painful.

"_If I end up being the only one of us to survive by letting you take my place, Sis is going to hate me for the rest of her life. The person I love is already gone but Sis still has hers."_

"I should've protected you, not just because you're a girl, but because you're you, do you get it? You're too important to brush it off as something that simple, I wanted to protect you because you're Mion!"

"Kei-chan, seriously..." Mion faded off as his arm tightened protectively around her waist, holding her all the closer. The embrace seemed oddly familiar, and even as she blushed brightly she knew that drawing away was not an option. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and allowed his warmth to seep into her skin, even if his forearm pressed just a little too hard around her side and his heart pounded against her own. "You... You don't need to say stuff like that, it's... it's not that big of a deal..."

Keiichi growled warningly in his throat when she tried again to brush it off, and was arrogantly pleased when she shut up. Holding her to him was a strange relief, he rather enjoyed having her against him and not for the physical pleasure or desire that it stirred in his teenage body. There was a strange emotional pleasure it gave him, a sense of ease because he knew she was now safe from outside harm. He had always been rather protective of the girls in the club, viewing them as close friends but this was different, he wanted her safety to be assured more than anyone else and by his own hands especially. Closing his eyes tightly, he whispered raggedly, "I got you hurt because I was too stupid to protect you, so I can get if you're angry with me or whatever. I was... I was scared. Terrified. We... We all thought that you were going to die."

Mion bit at her lower lip to stop the argument building on her tongue, and only the fact that he was still hugging her stopped her from trying to hit him. It blasted at her ego that he was treating her like a glass figurine, but it was oddly pleasing at the same time to know that her ailment had scared him. 'I must mean something to him if it terrified him, right...?' She kept herself silent, waiting for him to continue, almost daring to hope in the farthest corners of her mind and heart...

"You were hurt so bad Mion... I remember feeling all of your blood, and I couldn't stop thinking that if you died on me, I'd never be able to face myself in the mirror again." Keiichi explained tiredly, his cheeks warming as he confessed his secrets, too scared to look into her face. He contented himself with pressing his nose against her hair, breathing in the warm scent of sugar and flowers as he continued softly, "I carried you back to the clinic on my back... You were barely awake so I don't know if you remembered, but you just kept on saying that you were so glad... so glad that no one was hurt, that we were all alright. You just kept on repeating that, like it was all that mattered, you didn't give a shit that you were just shot or anything."

Her head throbbed again, and faint sounds and images sliced through her mind in a fevered array of visions. She could feel herself pressing against a strong back, while her fingers and toes slowly became cold and numb. Firm hands gripped at her thighs to keep her steady, legs wrapped weakly around a waist as feet stamped hurriedly below her. She was jarred into a rocking motion, but somehow she kept her weak grip around those shoulders, face pressed against a warm neck as she whispered a name repeatedly in her daze. 'I... He... He did carry me back. I remember...'

He'd pulled away from her, and his hand settled gently on top of her head, ruffling her hair soothingly. Her blush remained and she looked down at the ground beneath her feet, not wanting to see his expression because she knew she'd lose what was left of her composure. His fingers of his hidden hand gripped down a bit too hard on the soft material of what he held, and he was violently reminded of the first reason he had come anyway. "Um... Hey, I uh, I got you something from the festival, at one of the stalls... So, uh..." His face red, he revealed the bear he had been holding behind his back, and held it out stiffly towards the injured teen. "Here..."

"A...?" Mion cut herself off quickly, reaching out to take the large stuffed animal from him. She recognized it immediately as one of the many prizes at the shooting booth, Keiichi had helped set it up the week earlier. Even though he was standing right there, she couldn't really help herself and wrapped her arms around the brown animal tightly, hugging it close. Smiling sheepishly, she hid her mouth on the top of the bear's head, rather enjoying the feel of the rounded ears pressing against her red cheeks. "Thanks... Did you win it...?"

"Yeah, it was a pretty easy shot." Keiichi admitted rather awkwardly, watching her snuggle once with the toy before looking back up at him. It could have been a trick of the lamp's light on the rooftop, but her eyes glittered with pleasure as she looked at him over the head of the stuffed toy. Rubbing at the back of his neck in embarrassment, he asked stupidly, "You like it?"

"I'd have tried to win it, yeah." Mion hedged, wondering why she was outrightly denying the fact that she loved the toy she was holding. She was honestly touched that he went to the trouble of getting her gift, and even more so that he'd brought it to her in person. When she snuck a peek up at him, her heart leapt in her chest as she realized that he too was blushing. "Thank you... for this, and everything else too. You saved me."

Keiichi was silent, wondering why it was so hard to find a quip in his mind as she murmured her thanks. Her smile was strangely soft, not at all like the teasing and devilish grin he had grown used to. Her emerald eyes, once so sharp and clever, were warm and almost a liquid as she watched his face. Overwhelmed with a yearning he didn't understand, he stepped closer to her and gently rested his hand on her cheek, speaking quietly, "I didn't save you Mion, you saved me."

Knowing full well that anything she said would only be denied, Mion opted for silence, savouring the way his rough skin felt against her cheek. Hugging the bear so tightly that her arms ached, she found herself wishing that she was hugging him instead. Not wanting to press her already shaky luck, she just allowed herself to absorb this moment and feel nothing else but this happiness. 'I guess God does really like me after all...' Opening her eyes, she felt a bit of a spark in her stomach, the familiar her spinning up through her consciousness and demanding that she take action. Deciding that it'd be in both her, and her fragile female side some good, she smiled pleasantly at her only male friend and jested, "So I saved you, which means you're the loser, right?"

"The loser?" Keiichi questioned in surprise, completely caught off guard. His hand dropped back to his side, and she seemed disappointed by that but he was too bewildered to care. He heard Shion's laughter in his ear, warning him what seemed like centuries ago that he would be in for a painful punishment game for ever doubting her sister's strength. He paled and instinctively took a step backwards, weary. 'Oh god, she's not seriously going to put me through something like that after _this_, right?! She isn't _that_ evil is she!?' He continued backing away from her innocent smile, entirely terrified. "N-No, not a punishment game Mion, please! C'mon, you're still injured right, you shouldn't–"

"Come here Kei-chan." Mion ordered with a strangely angelic grin, motioning with her index finger that she wanted him closer. He was fighting the urge to run, and they both knew she could never catch him in her current condition. Waiting seemed to be the best course of action, and she said nothing else, waiting for him to give in.

It only took a few moments, and whether it was his pride or guilt that made him step forward, no one knew. Head hanging low, he trudged back to her side and mumbled several curses under his breath while doing so. She was chuckling at his defeat, which seemed oddly typical of her, and he found himself cursing that he had actually been scared to never hear that sound ever again. 'I would have cut off my arm twelve hours ago to have heard that sound again, and now I'd rather never hear it _ever_. Damn that's messed up!'

Mion could read every emotion on his face, and instead of taking that sadistic joy from his fear like she normally did, it instead gave her a sheepish pleasure. He had no idea what she wanted, and imagining his surprised face made her smile. She kept silent until he raised his eyes to hers, and she took a great thrill from his defeated expression. However, her cheeks reddened sharply as she thought the words she wanted to speak, and it was a struggle to even get them into her throat let alone through her lips.

'C'mon Mion, you have to! If you don't do it now, after everything that happened, you'll never be able to do it! You took a bullet for him, this is the _least_ he should give you after everything! Don't feel embarrassed, suck it up and tell him exactly what his punishment game is going to be!'

Her silence unnerved him, as did the somewhat annoyed pout she was making with her lips as she glared at the ground. He had seen that look only a few times, and nothing good ever followed contemplation before a punishment was doled out. Expecting the worst, Keiichi closed his eyes tightly and steeled himself for the worst game he was ever going to experience.

"Your punishment game is..." Mion took a deep breath as though she couldn't say it already, and closed her eyes too, knowing she'd never be able to look at his face and not start giggling or stammering. Fists curling tightly around the bear she was hugging so tightly, she resurrected the old her that had the spirit she required, and announced in a firm voice of the club leader, "You have to kiss me, Keiichi Maebara."

**AN**

**Hehehe. (is shot) XD I'm sorry I really couldn't help it. The chapter's end took on a life of it's own then it decided to end in a cliffhanger that would more than likely cause fangirls to want to kill me. Trust me, from a fangirl's pov, if I was left hanging on this I'd go ballistic, hehe. But then again, fangirls are an extremely volatile species, aren't we? We can be sweet (or Rena-like when we want to be) but the second something bad happens, we snap and get out the cleaver and just go insane. I actually love that idea, lol, we're all Renas XD Sorry, I'll shut up now and try to get to work on the next chapter. (Which may or may not be the final one, we shall see XD)**

**Ah, also, just to warn you, it may take a week or two before I can post the next chapter, I was pushing the limits writing this one as it was. I've encountered some wrist issues that have made it very difficult to type, so I hope no one minds the break I'll be taking. I promise I'll be working my ass off in the meantime in trying to come up with a successful way to end this collection! At the end, thank you all who've reviewed and favourited, I'm really happy that I've pleased my readers. It's the best thing an authouress can feel, knowing that she's pleased her collection of readers. I hope I can continue to do so, and you are much loved from me! (hands out cookies)**

**Always,**

**Sky**


	5. The Punishment Game

"_You have to kiss me, Keiichi Maebara."_

Keiichi blinked stupidly, her words echoing almost triumphantly in his mind as he stared open-mouthed at his red-faced leader. For her credit, she was staring stubbornly at him even while her face burst into fire, green eyes sparkling challengingly into his own. He knew immediately that she wasn't joking, and oddly enough that only made his stomach tense. His already fragile axis was tilted violently, and memories that he didn't remember flashed in front of his eyes.

Her tears as he denounced their friendship, his angry words making her flinch as though she was being struck and finally the way she hugged herself and sobbed silently as he walked away from her and left her in her pain. The sickening sound of his borrowed bat crashing against her skull, killing her immediately but he still didn't stop hitting her, even when he knew she was dead. Her loud and raucous giggles that filled him with pleasure each and every time he heard it, even if he was the one that was making her laugh so crazily because of a punishment. The feeling of her warm body pressed tightly against his chest as he tried to stop crying, apologizing over and over while she held onto him in confusion and embarrassment... Then finally, the despair as he held onto her hand, whispering broken prayers to a god he didn't even really believe in, to keep her alive even if it meant trading his own just so she'd open her eyes.

"_Mion!"_

She hadn't spoken but she was still staring at him, body stiff and challenging him to denounce her punishment. He had to admit, even in the midst of his confusion, she looked strikingly attractive when she was glaring him down. It gave him a primal pat to his ego to know that the ill-fitting clothes she was wearing belonged to him, a fact he'd sheepishly omitted from her knowledge. Finally, his gaze rested on her mouth, wondering what would happen if he did accept the punishment game, was she bluffing to see if she could humiliate him or did she actually want him to kiss her?

'Whatever she wants... I know what I want.' Keiichi found himself thinking, and he was aware of a hunger that had nothing to do with food growing inside of him. He couldn't lie and say that he'd never found her physically attractive, he'd been struck dumb repeatedly by her looks repeatedly, yet this time it seemed different. It wasn't just a teenage lust he was feeling now, there was a protectiveness in his hunger, a jealous quality that wanted her all to himself. Cupping her face with his hands, his voice grew hoarse as he whispered, "Alright... I'll kiss you."

Mion swallowed noisily and she could practically feel her feet rooting themselves into the ground. His hands were hot against her skin, while she felt positively icy under his intense gaze. Though she'd never admit it aloud, she rather liked seeing him staring at her this way, it gave her the rare feeling of being female. She had always yearned to experience that, especially in his presence and she savoured it now. Shakily and rather squeakily, she answered his assent with a very timid, "O-Okay."

She didn't have any more time to steel herself, he had decided to take the initiative and pressed his mouth clumsily against her own. Her eyes shot open wide, and she tried to gasp to find her lips were too busy with his to obey any of her mind's commands. The bear she had been holding dropped silently to the ground and he tugged her closer until their chests pressed together and his arms wrapped around her waist to hold her in place.

Her own arms decided to move of their own volition, winding themselves loosely around his shoulders as her eyes finally closed and she hesitantly pressed her mouth back against his. He felt so outrageously warm against her, and even through the haze of pleasure she found herself wanting more of this innocent kiss. He seemed to sense this too, and a gentle nip on her lower lip was his asking for permission and she granted it without a thought.

'She tastes like sugar.' Keiichi thought numbly as his tongue slid against hers in a strangely new but familiar dance. He was well aware of a straining pain in his chest, but the hunger refused to give way. She made a soft noise in the back of her throat, defeat or pleasure, but she pulled her body against his all the same. Neither wanted to stop.

The need for air however grew too great in their chests, and grudgingly, both pulled away from the embrace. Keiichi was breathing heavily and noticed with some satisfaction that Mion couldn't meet his eyes, instead she was hiding her face in his shoulder and was still clinging to him. Wanting to laugh but not wanting to annoy her, he settled on hugging her to him and nuzzling affectionately into her hair. "You're a good kisser, Mion. Have you had a lot of experience?"

"Shut up or I'll hit you." Mion grunted against his shoulder, even while her body twitched with giggles she was trying desperately to suppress. She couldn't admit to him that she had just experienced her first kiss, it seemed so outrageously cheesy to say it to him, especially after all that had happened. Trying to keep her pride intact and trying to annoy him, she tilted her chin up and challenged him coyly, "How would you know if I had a lot of experience? Have you kissed a lot of girls too Kei-chan?"

She'd hit him where it hurt, and she knew it from the proud smirk that was growing on her face. Laughing sheepishly at their blunders, his left arm freed itself from around her waist, and rose up to stroke lazily at her hair as he apologized. "Sorry, I guess that was uncalled for. No more dents on our pride, we'll call a truce for now, huh?"

"A truce sounds nice." Mion agreed, though she wasn't really thinking of that, especially when his fingers absently brushed against her cheek. Leaning into the touch, she found herself strangely content to remain where she stood, locked close in his arms and pressing herself against his chest. She got a thought as she stood there in his embrace, and glanced out longingly into the night where she knew her friends would still be. 'I... Will he...?' Biting down on her lower lip, she decided to take a chance, nothing seemed to be out of her reach when she was riding this sort of high anyway. "Um... Kei-chan... Would you do me a favour?"

"That depends on the favour." Keiichi hedged hesitantly, and she shifted against him and the teenage boy was abruptly aware of how nice it felt to have her chest pressing so earnestly against him. He swallowed and fought to control the heavy-handed lust that stirred him, and he wondered dazedly if she knew what effect she had on him and would use it to her advantage. "Uh... Wh-What is it you want?"

"I, uh, well... I'd like to head to the festival... with you."

Those words effectively snapped him back to reality, and his reaction was split into two violently different categories. The first was pure delirious glee. He rather liked hearing how she mentioned going only with him. Her shyness, while unexpected and unfamiliar, was too cute to ignore. He admitted wholeheartedly to being a complete and utter fool for anything moe, especially when it came to his fellow female comrades, but this sort of attitude coming from Mion was doubly attractive considering the rarity. In this daze, he would have allowed her to all but run him through if she had asked in that voice, in this embrace.

The second was a denial so strong that it all but kicked him repeatedly in the groin until he was begging for mercy inside of his own head. He could only guess how much it had hurt her to even get to the roof of the clinic, and the festival was a ten minute bike-ride away, she'd never last on foot with her wounds. If he had been holding her tightly before, his arms decided it wasn't enough and confined her into a protective hold that pinned her effectively against his chest. This side had won, and he answered her shortly even though he knew it'd offend her to treat her like glass. "No. You're not in any shape to leave the clinic."

"Kei–" Mion cut herself off when his arms flexed around her waist, adding pressure against her wound and threatening to push her stitches against their limits. Gritting her teeth at this pain, she gently pressed her hand against him and his hold loosened considerably and at once. Deeply touched by his worry for her, she couldn't muster the strength to be annoyed by his denial but it didn't do much to stifle her want to go. She took a deep breath and decided to try and convince him anyway, even if he was the Magician of Words she wanted to give it a shot. Using his full name was a complete turn around for the both of them, but the situation called for her to show how much she truly wanted to leave the clinic, and she wanted to fully express her seriousness in her explanation, "Keiichi, please. It's important to me to see Rika's dance, and to see my family together finally at this festival. After everything all of us went through, we deserve to have a moment of pleasure, right? It just feels wrong for me to be here and not enjoy that with them... so, please...?"

Keiichi grit his teeth angrily but couldn't argue, he knew her seriousness in this matter and it annoyed him that part of him agreed. If anything, all of them deserved this moment of peace and pleasure, this time to celebrate something trivial while in the company of their loved ones. She wanted this, not as a club leader to support her comrades, but as the twin sister she was to Shion, as the upperclassman to Satoko, Rika and Hanyuu, the friend to Rena, and most importantly as plain-old Mion for him. 'Even if I say no again, she'll find a way there, even if she has to foot it the entire way. She's just stubborn like that. Shion said she'd make it to the roof five minutes after we left and she wasn't in her bed when I got here, that's enough proof, isn't it?' He painfully remembered the conversation he had with Shion, the one that had really laid him bare in the eyes of the girl who knew Mion better than anyone ever would...

"_So you're going to leave anyway, even knowing that she's going to get herself into trouble?" Keiichi asked with raised eyebrows, staring at the back of Shion as she walked hand-in-hand with Satoko on her left. Rika smiled up into his shocked face, nudging Hanyuu playfully as Rena began to giggle from the rear of their troupe. "Why wouldn't you stay and keep an eye on her?"_

"_Kei-chan, you and me, better than anyone, know how my sister's mind works." Shion told him flippantly, twisting around and walking backwards as she looked him straight in the eye. She was grinning cheekily at him when he blushed in response to her words, and folded her arms behind her head in a rather Mion-like gesture. "She's bound to get into trouble with or without us there to watch her. It's just better to do as she says and leave her to her own devices."_

"_Keiichi is worried about Mi, Keiichi is worried about Mi!" Rika cheered in a singsong voice, with a giggling Hanyuu and Satoko immediately picking up the chorus. Rena started to giggle uncontrollably even as her cheeks reddened, fighting the urge to scoop all three girls into her arms and race off for home._

"_Kei-chan, you know my sister well. Can you seriously tell me that you figured she'd behave herself when we left?" Shion asked seriously, her eyes narrowing when she looked straight into his surprised face. She ignored the three children racing away from a chaotically pleased Rena, and focussed intently instead on him. "Really?"_

"_Y..." Keiichi swallowed on his words, her truth hitting him square in the stomach to rob him of breath. He had wanted to believe that her wound would have humbled her, but he knew better. She was stubborn and brilliantly fierce when it came to winning, and if she had her mind set on it, she'd find a way to do it. Laughing wryly, he shook his head and raised his hands in a sign of surrender, "No, I didn't expect it... I wanted to think she'd behave, but that's just me dreaming. Of course she'll find a way to get loose, and it wouldn't matter if we were there or not. She'd manage somehow."_

"_Exactly." Shion smiled rather affectionately, skipping back a few steps so they were close enough to touch. Ruffling his hair warmly, her sudden cheerful smile faded as she took notice of his half-healed over gash and murmured a quiet, "Um, y'know, Kei-chan... I'm sorry about hitting you before. That wasn't really fair of me, not when I had no idea what had happened..."_

"_No, you had a right to hit me." Keiichi disagreed amiably, rubbing his jaw pointedly as if he could still feel her hard punches colliding with his face. He'd never have guessed it, but her arm was incredibly powerful and certainly was going to leave him marked in the days to come. Glancing up at the sky so he wouldn't need to see her surprise, he continued just as quietly, "I really do blame myself for what happened to her. So when you hit me, I guess I felt like I was finally being punished for being stupid and weak... but you also made me realize how much I want to make that up to her, to Mion. I don't want to ever put her in that position ever again, I want to protect her this time and let her know that she's important because she's Mion, and not just because she's the club leader."_

"_What I told you back in the shrine, back before I split up with you guys... It was the truth. For both of us." Shion reddened just a little, and she glanced sheepishly over towards where Satoko was running away from Rena, laughing hysterically as Hanyuu tripped and Rika fell over her in her own haste to escape. Rubbing at her nose in embarrassment, she corrected herself sheepishly, "Well, I... I got lucky, somehow, and... it looks as if my love is still around, if I'm willing to wait, which of course I am. But the fact was, I mean _is_ that Sis... Sis still has the person she loves. I wasn't saying it just to get you to go. It's the truth."_

"_Are you trying to say that Mion...?"_

He hadn't been able to finish his sentence, and Shion hadn't answered him, pulled away from the conversation when Satoko screamed for help as Rena captured her by the waist. Now however, it was such a different story, Shion was no longer there and the girl who knew the truth was in his arms. Mion's plea still hung in the air however, distracting him, and he decided that it seemed like a good enough time to begin a trade. "I... I'll bring you to the festival, if you answer a question of mine. No strings attached, you give me a yes or no answer and I promise I'll bring you the festival even if it's not the one I wanted to hear, okay?"

Mion blinked, several times. It seemed like a safe enough deal, but she still wanted to say no for reasons that she didn't understand. Her voice seemed to have lost all of its natural toughness, and she all but squeaked her affirmative, much to her embarrassment and horror. "Yeah, sure."

She expected him to chuckle at her loss of face, but his expression remained completely serious and tense. His fingers had quit their rhythmic stroking, and now just cupped her face as if to keep her there. Voice low and strained, he choked through his words, "Shion... Shion told me something, in the caves underneath your place, when her and Kasai were going to stay behind to buy us some time, and I offered to take her place instead."

Mion stiffened, she remembered that day and it froze her blood just thinking about how she had nearly lost her sister. The anguish had been unbearable when she believed Shion to be dead, and all she could do was grip Satoko to her chest and cry as they both mourned the loss of a sibling. What she hadn't known was Keiichi's offer to take her place, and immediately her hands tightened on the front of his shirt, as if to hold him to her in both the past and the future. She pulled away from his hands, examining his face, hopeful to find a sign that he was joking or somehow trying to lie, but there was nothing but honesty in his youthful expression. "You were going to stay behind? _You_?"

"Shion wouldn't let me." Keiichi chuckled once, bitterly. She had looked so amused by his suggestion, as if the thought of giving into a man's aid would make her any less of a woman. Her joke hadn't been able to soothe him, and only when she whispered of her sister did he find himself wanting to go back. He averted his eyes, not wanting to see the laughter in her face if he had guessed wrong, and continued quietly, "She told me that if she escaped and I died because she let me take her place, you'd hate her for the rest of your life and... and that the one she loved was already gone... Then... that y-you still had yours."

Mion was immediately torn, and she wished urgently that she had two different bodies, one to find her sister and beat the truth from her, and the other to hold Keiichi so tightly that she'd just melt right into him and stay there. The urge to kill her twin sibling was ferocious, but the _need_ to remain in his embrace was even more so, and she let go of her annoyance to hug him. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she didn't know what to say, so instead she just pressed her cheeks to his chest and prayed that he wouldn't press the issue. 'Stupid Shion, stupid! I'll kill her for this!'

'She was right though.' A voice that sounded annoyingly like Satoko giggled in her mind, pressing her buttons until she really was fantasizing of the things she'd do to Shion if she could get her hands on her. The voice continued quietly, all joking gone and with seriousness so absolute that her bloodlust sobered. 'If Keiichi had sacrificed himself and let Shion live instead, you would have hated her for the rest of your life. You'd never forgive her for killing Keiichi, just like how she never would've forgiven you for demoning away Satoshi if it had been true. He meant that much to you, and Shion knew that. She was willing to die to make sure you were happy if she was gone.'

Her silence unnerved him, but the way she held onto him gave him some comfort anyway. His ego nearly screamed with delight when she nuzzled her face into his shoulder, and he held her all the tighter. The soft feel of her warm body in his arms was intoxicating, he couldn't remember this sort of desire ever filling his blood before. Even when he'd seen Shion so scantily clad at the Angel Mort and he mistook her for Mion, this hunger wasn't the same. It had been a straightforward lust then, a mere want but it seemed more pure now, mixed with an emotion he was too naive to name.

His voice nearly broke with embarrassment, hope and worry now as he tried to find his words, to remember why he was telling her all of this in the first place. He wanted an answer to the question that had bothered him ever since he had given thought to the words of the twins, and now he had his chance to ask it. "What Shion said back there, was it true? About you having _someone_ that you love?"

Mion bit down hard on her lower lip, glad suddenly for the shoulder she was pressing her face against to hide her growing anxiety. The truth was screaming an affirmative in her head and making her dizzy, and she knew he wouldn't let her go until she gave him an answer. Then she froze. 'He said... yes or no, he'll take me to the festival anyway. Even if I say no and lie to him, he'll still be there for me anyway. Does that mean he... he feels the same way as me?' She took a deep breath, several in fact to try to calm her racing heart, then whispered, "She wasn't lying. I... I do have someone that I.. love."

Keiichi inhaled sharply, feeling the blow that both surged joy into his heart and ripped his stomach out. She hadn't given him a name, but he knew without knowing that she had to be talking about him. The clues were all there, the puzzle pieces that had always been right in front of him but that he had been too stupid to organize. 'The doll, the bento, the bullet, even the damn punishment game she just put me through, why didn't I ever see anything? What was my problem?' Silently, he nuzzled his face against her neck in a breathless sigh of relief and pleasure. "Mion..."

Mion squeaked at the tightening of his hug, but he was careful this time to avoid her waist. His arms wound around her back and neck, keeping her still as her own fell to loop around his waist. His breath was ragged in her ear, as if he'd just run a marathon and it sent pleasurable shivers through her. As much as she would have loved to lose her composure and say everything that she still held so secretly to her heart, she instead stammered defensively, "I-I-I didn't say _who_ it was, don't be getting any ideas! This old man will take it to the grave, seriously!"

"I don't care if you don't tell me, it doesn't matter if you never say it." Keiichi was surprised to find that his words were truthful, and apparently she did also. Her face was no longer pink but surprised, and he chuckled at this sight on her. It still looked rather adorable, especially when her eyes widened to look at him. Gently releasing her, his hand strayed to her hair and ruffled it tenderly, and he continued softly, "The important thing is that I know now, even if you never tell me straight out. Maybe I'm being stupid and it's not even me, but that's alright too, because I just want one thing for you and that's for you to be happy and get well. So if it _is_ me that'll make that happen, then I'll make you a promise right now that I will _never_ break. I'll always be here. Always."

"K-Kei-chan–" Mion exclaimed brokenly, entirely confused and alarmed by his about-face. She forgot to be embarrassed, to be surprised, she was completely overwhelmed with a surge of delight that robbed her of thought. He was smiling so broadly and honestly, it was impossible to not want to kiss those lips again, to not want to hold onto him until she lost the ability to do so.

He did it for her, tugging her forward with one hand while his other crept around the back of her neck. She groaned in defeat and surrender, parting her lips for his questing tongue and relaxed entirely into his embrace. She had wanted this, always wanted this, and now that it was hers to claim she'd never let it go.

**AN**

**Hehe, nothing really happened this chapter besides mindless fluff but I don't care because it pleased me insanely, so XD. (Four pages of mindless fluff to boot! XD) But in all seriousness, in reply to those who are sorta worried that the story is ending here, I do have a chapter more or so left in me, but I'm not entirely fixed on where I want to end it... That may be an issue, but then again it always is a problem, "How do I end this properly?". Meh, stories take on lives of their own and tend to end on their own terms, in my experience it's way better to leave it like that. Anyway, thank you to all who've reviewed/favourited/alerted, and I hope I continue to please!**

**Sky**


	6. A New Ending

"You okay back there?" Keiichi asked conversationally, rather glad that Mion couldn't see his expression as he shifted gingerly so that she was resting in a more comfortable position. He was wearing a rather goofy-looking smile as he carried her on his back along the road, it had seemed like the only way to get her to the Watanagashi festival, as she couldn't walk very far before her wound had begun to ache. She'd protested halfheartedly but in the end she had accepted his offer and clung wearily to his back and held on for the ride. They had been like this for almost ten minutes of comfortable silence, both teens too embarrassed and sheepishly pleased with the situation to really speak anyway.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?" Mion asked coyly, also glad that he couldn't see _her_ expression. This had gone beyond everything and anything she had ever hoped for. She had been kissed twice by him tonight, given a present and now she was being carried by the teenage boy she'd fallen for so long ago. Part of her was completely certain that she was dreaming, the other was happily content to remain in the dream, if that's what it was. Resting her chin on his shoulder when he didn't answer, she pursed her lips and crinkled her nose as she tried to get a good look at his expression but was foiled when he turned his head away from her. "Hey, no fair! I just wanna know if you're doing alright, you're carrying me for heaven's sake!"

"I'm fine, I carried you downhill before, this isn't a stretch." Keiichi answered her rather breezily, though his grin was giving away his laughter. She was blushing, he could feel the heat of her face against his neck when she hid it there and it did wonders for his mood. This was so much different from that moment though, he had been running then, driven by fear and anguish as she clutched weakly to him, gasping for air and groaning with pain at his every step. This was a complete opposite, she was awake and content, holding onto him gingerly and sheepishly while they kept up a steady and cheery conversation. "Just tell me if you want to go any slower or something, I don't want to get your stitches reopened. Dr Irie will murder me."

"Murder _you_? He'll murder _me_ for getting you to take me out." Mion disagreed, shaking her head and trying not to grin with mischief as she thought of it. Her sister had warned her many times not to leave her room, let alone the hospital, she was breaking so many rules that it was a high in itself to be doing it. She mused thoughtfully, voice inquisitive, "I wonder how Shion will react when she sees me..."

"Stay away from her right, she's got a killer arm." Keiichi advised, flexing his jaw to prove his statement. Not enough time had passed since she'd hit him for his face to bruise, but he had no doubts that he'd be sporting lovely colours in the days to come. Though she'd given him an abashed apology, he knew that he'd be watching his steps around her for many months before he dared to let his guard down. Mion didn't giggle, and he realized at once that she was still rather annoyed with her sister for hitting him. Letting out a sigh, he gently reminded her, "If you were Shion and I was Satoshi, would you have punched me?"

Mion bit down on her lower lip to stifle a laugh at the thought, trying her best to be serious and give the idea some merit. 'After everything Shion went through, if I saw Satoshi-kun again I could actually give him a few punches just to punish him for leaving her like she was. It might not have been all his fault but I certainly could let loose on him for awhile all the same...' With a bit of an exaggerated sigh and some annoyance, she allowed, "I guess I can sorta understand where Shion was coming from... but she didn't need to hit you so hard seeing as I was perfectly okay..."

"Well she couldn't tell that, so do you honestly blame her?" Keiichi shot back, turning his head just a little so he could let her see the disbelief and challenge in his eyes. She rolled her own but didn't answer him, and the boy couldn't help but smile when she looked somewhat embarrassed. He was rather getting attached to the blush she had been sporting since he'd caught her on the roof, he admitted inwardly that he'd like to see it much more often. Hoisting her just a bit higher up on his back, he mused lazily, "She really loves you, y'know? I think you mean a lot more to her then she lets on."

Mion smiled rather tenderly at his words, and self-consciously, she nuzzled against his neck as her face warmed with pleasure at the thought. 'It scared me... To think I lost her back there, underground. A lot of what happened scared me.' The warmth in her face had spread to her entire body, and she was thoughtful as Keiichi fell into silence, walking along with her. It all seemed so new yet so familiar, this feeling of contentment and abashed pleasure. Musing mostly to herself, she murmured into his ear, "I love her, but I don't tell her that as often as I should. I guess I just assume she knows that, or I'm too stupid to say it to her... I should work on telling her that I love her more, especially after all that happened. Who knows when I won't be around to say it again, or when she won't be here to hear me tell her?"

"Don't think like that, you got shot yesterday." Keiichi grunted unhappily, wishing he could look her fully in the face to let her know how annoyed her words made him. He didn't want to think about the deaths of any of his friends, especially of the twins, especially of the one he carried on his back. It was just too real for him, he had nearly lost her once already, he wasn't sure if he could manage actually having her slide from his grasp for certain. "You're going to live a long life Mion, everybody is. No one's going to die young."

"Heh, I gotta admit though, dying young sounds good if I'm facing off ending up looking like my grandmother sixty years down the road." Mion jested playfully, nudging her nose against his cheek in an effort to coax a smile from him. Pleased to see that it had worked, she added cheerfully, "Though I guess the consolation is knowing that if I end up looking like that, so will Shion!"

"Pfft..." Keiichi couldn't help it, he started chuckling at the mental image she'd drawn him. The two twins just seemed so lively and young, much too different from their aged grandmother and the idea of the two of them becoming like the woman was outlandish. He stopped laughing abruptly when he realized how far they had come during their conversation, the lights of the festival were shining brightly just a few feet away now. "Wow, time flies... You want me to carry you in?"

Mion blinked several times, then squirmed a little inwardly when she savoured the offer. It was rather tempting to just stay where she was for the rest of the night, but she knew that rumours would fly quickly if she made her entrance on the back of a boy. Worse still it was the boy that her parents knew she was very fond of, and she could only imagine how much trouble she would be in if word got out. Her smile grew mischievous and she happily tightened her arms around his shoulders and announced cheerfully, "Well, seeing as I'm gonna be demoned away by my demon granny the second she finds out about everything I've been up to, I might as well celebrate our victory in style. If you're up to it, I'm totally game."

Keiichi heard the devilish quality in her voice and he couldn't help but be spurred on by it. She truly could be fearless when she decided to be, and it only made him want to par his skills. His hands loosened on her legs but before she had a chance to touch the ground he awkwardly managed to turn his hips so he could move her into his arms. She squeaked and he grinned brightly, carrying her bridal style and setting his chin on top of her hair. "Well if you wanna go down in style, I certainly can help with that. It's a pity I don't have a swimsuit on me, then you really could rock this festival!"

"I love your thinking Kei-chan!" Mion crowed, pumping her fist into the air as she laughed outright at his blatant enthusiasm for her gatecrashing. She could only imagine the tortures she was going to have to endure, but at the moment all of her family protocol had slid into the back of her mind. She was with Keiichi, her teammates were somewhere in the festival celebrating a beautiful victory, and she was in a great mood. Nothing was going to keep her from having as much fun as she could. "Let's do it and get our asses kicked in the process!"

"You got it Captain!" Keiichi laughed loudly, snuggling her close to his chest and whisking her rather smugly towards the array of tents that was the festival. Many of the residents in the crowd gave them both second looks, but Mion, for her credit, grinned and waved cheerfully at the ones who outright stared at them. Her face a brilliant shade of pink, she seemed completely at ease in his hold and made no movements to make it look as if he was simply carrying her instead of holding her to him.

She giggled at his jokes and playfully elbowed him when he made too many lewd comments, almost as if it was nothing more than another club activity, as if he hadn't kissed her twice and she hadn't taken a bullet for him. He was surprised at how normal things still were between them, but there was a hint of a deeper 'like' that he hadn't felt before in her smile and her laugh. She cuddled up to him occasionally and it felt so natural to have his arms around her like they were now. He rather enjoyed this new dynamic.

"Aww, that's no fair, you're way better with guns than any of us are Shi!" A very familiar voice griped from their left, and Keiichi halted automatically, turning his back and peeking over his shoulder with Mion to avoid being seen. Mion peeked over his opposite shoulder, grinning as she saw the backs of her friends who were surrounding a shooting gallery.

Shion smirked at the grumbling Rika, playfully dangling the small bear charm she had won from the gallery. Rena was practically drooling as she watched it swing from side to side, unmistakable lust in her face as she began to squirm. Hanyuu, sheepish, was also staring at the charm with envy as Satoko tried her luck, resolutely ignoring the bickering behind her. The younger twin's smile softened at Rika's little huff of sadness and Hanyuu's pout, and she handed the charm over to the two and announced, "You guys are really hopeless, you're almost as bad as Sis is at this game! Here Hanyuu, I'll win another one for Rika if you promise to stop pouting like that."

"Au-au-au, thank you Shi, thank you!" Hanyuu clapped her hands and immediately danced away from Rika's glare as she held the charm to her heart. She couldn't stop laughing, and when Rena's eyes set on her she almost fell to the ground with the force of her giggles. "No, no, no, you can't take me home Rena, I'm having too much fun!"

"But you're so c–" Rena stopped mid-sentence, having whirled on the young transfer student to chase her when she spotted a very familiar pair of green eyes peeking over a shoulder from across the aisle. Her lips parted with a pop as she recognized the back of the boy those eyes had hidden behind and she pointed to them even though they were no less then a few feet away, "Keiichi-kun, Mi-chan! What are you two doing here, I wonder, I wonder?"

"Oh shit." Mion whispered rather loudly, knowing that they'd been discovered and not in the way she had been hoping to be. She wasn't even sure why they'd hidden anyway, but it had been amusing at the moment to spy on their friends. Keiichi had turned white as a sheet, and she glanced up into his eyes and asked weakly, "Is it too late to take back everything I said before and just run for the hills to escape with our lives?"

"Kei-chan? _Mion_!"

"I think we're too late for that option." Keiichi answered her hoarsely, and he turned around before Shion or Rika could get any ideas about murdering him from behind. He would have raised his hands in surrender if he hadn't been holding Mion, but she seemed to be having the same idea anyway. He tried to grin sheepishly as he took in the positively murderous face of the younger twin, and only Mion stopped him from trying to flee like she'd suggested.

"Okay, _now_ I'm gonna kill him." Shion growled and took a threatening step forward, only to be stopped by Satoko's patiently restraining hand on her arm. Rika looked to be in the same state of mind, but Hanyuu had hugged her by the middle as dug her feet into the ground to hold her from lunging at Keiichi's throat. Her twin's eyes flashing bloodlust, she snapped, "What _the hell_ are you two doing here?"

"Dying in style?" Mion halfheartedly suggested, wincing when Shion's eyes turned to chips of jade coloured ice. Rena was giggling as Satoko now held onto Shion with both hands, and Rika began to viciously try to pry Hanyuu's arms from her body. Hands still held up protectively in front of her face, the young woman squeaked out, "C'mon, you know me Sis, I can't be holed up in that stupid clinic! I convinced Kei-chan to sneak me to the festival, just for an hour or so! I wanted to catch Rika-chan's dance!"

Rika stopped struggling almost immediately, but her face still promised violence so Hanyuu didn't release her. She tapped her foot on the ground, looking for all the world like a scolding parent even while her face pinked a little. "You snuck out of the clinic just to see me dance, Mi? Why? It's not that important..."

"It's important to you, and so it's important to me too." Mion answered simply, rather pleased to see that her words had put out the flames on the shrine-maiden's anger. Hanyuu seemed to think it safe now to release her, but she held an offensive stance, completely prepared to tackle her best friend if she made any sudden movements. "Seriously Rika-chan. I wanted to see you, and everybody else too."

"Mii..." Rika murmured softly, her face pinking a little bit more and she absently rubbed at her nose in embarrassment. She hadn't expected this, and she turned to a smiling Hanyuu which only seemed to worsen her awkwardness. Swallowing hastily and attempting to salvage her pride, she pointed accusingly at Keiichi, "But that doesn't excuse why you let her out! Did she promise you something perverted so you'd take her here?"

Keiichi swallowed, hard, as he realized that he was once again in trouble. Mion has successfully saved herself from Rika's wrath, though with the way Shion was glowering at the both of them, he doubted that either would be unscathed from _her_ fury. Rena was stifling her giggles by pressing her hands to her mouth now, and he could only shake his head rapidly from side to side to answer Rika's question. Still, he kept on wondering if kissing Mion counted as a perverted promise when in reality it had been a punishment game gone awry.

"Rena knows why he brought her here, she knows!" Rena piped up after she managed to quell her giggles, and all faces turned to her in confusion. Her smile was absurdly gentle and smug, and she clapped her hands for emphasis, hopping from one foot to another. Satoko made a 'go on' gesture with her free hand, still stopping Shion from outrightly attacking Keiichi while he held Mion like a shield in front of him. Rena, smiling so brightly she was sure she might just take off at any given moment, explained with a new sweetness, "Keiichi-kun is making up for his guilt for what he thinks he did to Mi-chan. He's kinda being like her slave, but Mi-chan doesn't want that, right Mi-chan?"

Mion blinked, honestly startled by Rena's sudden intuitive leap. Then she smiled wryly, she should have come to expect this over the months of learning about her friend. Behind her outrageously cute mask, she truly was a girl of surprising intelligence and intuition. Smiling sheepishly, she looked up shyly at Keiichi and murmured, "No... I don't want him to be my slave... I want Kei-chan to be Kei-chan, that's all..."

"Keiichi-san, doesn't your back hurt from carrying Mion-san the entire way here?" Satoko asked, effectively derailing the conversation for the time-being, though she still was holding tight to Shion. Keiichi looked startled and confused by her concern, and the trap-master grinned brilliantly and flashed him a thumbs-up to prove she had no malicious intent whatsoever in her words. "It's okay, I'm not going to push you into a pothole or something tonight. You did a good thing today by bringing Mion-san here, even if some of us think you should've left her behind. You did what made her happy. So your reward is a few safe days from me. Come on and sit down so you can get some rest."

"Ah... I... I guess..."

Satoko grinned and clapped her hands together, whirling around to look at the remaining members of the group as Keiichi carried Mion silently and obediently to a nearby bench. Knowing full well that Shion was waiting for a chance to kill the boy for bringing her sister out, and to kill her sister for coercing him into doing it, she burst into a command mode. "Nee-nee, Hanyuu, get some food for Keiichi-san and Mion-san, I'm sure the both of them would like some treats! Rika, you're going to be performing in half an hour so you ought to get going to the stage, Rena, keep an eye on 'em while I get Rika to the performance! Alright team?"

"Gotcha ma'am!" Hanyuu sprung to a crisp salute, waving to Rika before grabbing the mystified Shion by the hand to tug her into the crowd. She could hear Satoko and Rika's laughter following her, and Rena's obedient exclamation as she too hurried to follow her orders. She let the younger twin go when they neared the food vendors, and looked up into her slightly annoyed face and asked hesitantly, "Au-au... Are you still angry with Keiichi, Shion? Satoko was right though, he made her happy..."

"They're both idiots." Shion griped quietly, but she had to admit that the young student had every right point and that annoyed her too. She knew her sister was blissfully happy, and she knew that something special had ended up happening between her and the boy who'd carried her here. 'I wonder if she told him how she really felt... It'd make a lot of sense, seeing as how comfortable she suddenly is being with him... She used to be a stammering mess for hours if he even rubbed her hair...' Sighing with some resignation when Hanyuu continued to murmur with anxiety, she reached absently into her pocket to take out her wallet and explained, "I'm not really angry at Keiichi, I know that Mion was behind the plot, I'm not that stupid. What really annoys me is that Mion just refuses to care about herself when she knows she should."

Hanyuu smiled just a little, and walked silently alongside the physically older female towards a vendor. She could vividly remember the world where Mion hadn't been so selfless, the only world where she had seen the girl take the lives of her treasured friends. 'She learned from that world, and became the true friend she is today... She'd never make the same mistake again, this I know for certain about her... I'm glad that Keiichi managed to realize her devotion to him, it was such a source of pain for her in almost all of the worlds.'

"I guess what it comes down to is that she's happy, so I can't be too annoyed with the idiot." Shion sighed under her breath, placing her order before turning her back on the stall. Leaning casually on the back, she spotted her sister and Keiichi on the bench, talking animatedly with Rena. The conversation brought blushes and nervous giggles from the couple, but Rena seemed honestly pleased and that drew a smile from Hanyuu. Chuckling to herself, she brushed back her hair with her free hand and said softly, "They all look so happy, it's like nothing's changed for them."

"In a way, nothing has, but everything has changed too." Hanyuu agreed, smiling into the affectionate expression of the younger twin. Shion was watching her sister protectively, but the love in her eyes couldn't be hidden as she admired them from afar. Folding her hands and pressing them to her chest, the goddess closed her eyes and murmured softly, "I am so happy... So much has happened, after so long and so much suffering... happiness is within everyone's grasp and everyone can finally take a hold of it."

"You sound a lot like Rika-chan when you talk like that." Shion remarked with a small smile, avoiding Hanyuu's startled gaze by turning back to the vendor and retrieving her orders of takoyaki. Handing a boat to Hanyuu, she added playfully, "I can see how you two are related, you kinda look similar but it's all in your personalities. The both of you look like children, but you're very wise for your age."

"Au-au-au... I never thought I sounded very wise..." Hanyuu mumbled to her feet, dutifully holding the boat of food that had been handed to her. Shion's giggles warmed her face, and despite herself, the goddess found herself smiling. 'It feels so good to be seen by them, after a near century of watching over them all, I can finally walk among them myself.'

Shion raised her eyebrows when she came to the bench, noticing with some satisfaction that Keiichi had dropped his arm from her sister the second he saw her approaching. Mion seemed annoyed by this and took his arm from his side, wrapping it around her shoulders herself, scowling in Shion's direction. Snorting at this behaviour, she handed over her box to Mion while Hanyuu gave Keiichi his, remarking, "Hey, did I tell your boyfriend to stop hugging you?"

"Boyfriend!" Keiichi and Mion chorused in alarm, turning to look at each other before realizing how close they were sitting together. Both teens went red in the face but didn't try to pull away from the other's grasp, instead they focussed on the food in their laps and fell into a rather embarrassed silence.

Rena, having overheard the last remark, was immediately on her feet and grinned from ear to ear. Hopping from one foot to another, she tilted her head and gazed brilliantly at her blushing friends. "Ooh, Keiichi-kun is dating Mi-chan? So cute, so cute!"

Mion wasn't sure what was hurting her more, the gunshot in her side or the heat in her face. She was hyper aware of Keiichi's hand on her shoulder, the absent way his thumb touched her neck as he held her protectively against his side even while he blushed. She could see the satisfaction in Shion's face, her sister had wanted this to happen almost as much as Mion herself had. Looking at Rena, she was surprised to see the glee in the auburn-haired girl's eyes, she was bouncing with happiness, once again combatting her urge to scoop the two of them up and take them home.

"Wow, I leave for maybe five minutes and Keiichi-san is already dating Mion-san?" Satoko's voice chimed in from behind Shion, and the green-haired girl immediately hugged her to her side out of impulse. Giggling as she returned the embrace, she held Shion's hand with her left, smirking rather smugly at Keiichi as he announced, "So, as nee-nee would say, both Mion and Keiichi-san are grown-ups."

"Satoko–" Keiichi growled warningly, getting to his feet as she skipped backwards, releasing her grip on Shion as she did so. She stuck out her tongue at him, just daring him to begin the chase and he did with a growl of annoyance. Shrieking with glee or fright, the young blond fled the scene with Keiichi following close behind, roaring his plans for her if he managed to capture her before the end of the night.

To Mion's surprise, Shion sat down beside her, nicking one of the takoyaki sticks in Keiichi's boat and taking a rather relishing bite of the meat. Rena had fled with Hanyuu to ensure Satoko's safety, and the twins were rather certain that he'd give up after a few long minutes of chase. In the meantime, Shion nibbled absently at the food, silently persuading Mion to do the same. After a few moments of silence, the youngest sister said casually, "Did he ask you out?"

"No, he didn't."

"Pity. You wanted him to." Shion chuckled knowingly, ignoring her sister's glowering scowl. She was used to this treatment whenever the boy was involved, and she had come to enjoy her role in pushing them together. Nibbling a little at the end of the stick she had stolen, Shion leaned back on the bench and stared up peacefully into the night sky. "It's peaceful. You ought to take advantage of it and ask Kei-chan out."

Mion didn't reply to that remark, but she didn't need to for her feelings to be seen by the girl who knew her better than anyone else she knew. Rubbing absently at her side, she frowned to herself as she let herself think aloud. She knew that Shion would understand, though how she knew she wasn't sure, but she trusted her twin enough to let her innermost secrets come tumbling through her lips. "I nearly died today... The weird thing is, I didn't even think twice about standing in front of Kei-chan and everyone else when Takano threatened to kill us. Part of me felt like I was doing what the leader would do, but... I wanted them to be safe, like I wanted you to be safe... but I can't stop thinking that all I _really_ wanted was to keep him safe above everything else. I kept seeing Kei-chan on the ground, dead, and I only knew that I couldn't stand to see that, it'd kill me if he died. It was the only thing I could actually see..."

Shion smiled tenderly, and leaned over to press her head against Mion's, wrapping her arm protectively around her shoulders. Her twin ducked her head in embarrassment but didn't pull away from the embrace, something Shion was grateful for. Letting out a breath, she murmured, "I know how you feel, sort of... After so long of believe that Satoshi-kun was gone forever, when I had the chance to see him with my own eyes, I didn't think twice about it. It might take years for me to finally see him open his eyes, but I've decided that I'll wait for him... We're both idiots in love, it's a wonder we actually managed to survive all this time."

"I'll eat to that." Mion giggled softly, tilting her head back to take in the perfect view of the night sky. She could hear Keiichi yelling angrily as he ran after Satoko while Rena and Hanyuu attempted to stop laughing long enough to subdue the duo. The sounds gave her an odd sense of comfort and familiarity, and she turned to Shion who was busy watching the stalls with a maternal smile. "You're not chasing after Kei-chan to make sure he doesn't go too far with Satoko... Something change your mind tonight?"

Shion smirked as she thought of her answer, it was a relatively simple one but she was enjoying teasing her sister. Especially now that he had so much material that was simply begging to be used. Resigning to be the respectable younger sibling, she instead nodded towards the sight of Keiichi taking hold of Satoko and dashing off with her unceremoniously thrown over his shoulder. The sight, at one point, may have terrified her, or angered her, but now she could only feel a tender amusement and comfort. She knew him better now, she had seen his devotion to her sister, the ferocity that he had to protect those dear to him. She couldn't think ill of him now, especially considering that her sister's heart lay in those protective and capable hands.

She didn't say any of this aloud however, she knew better. Time would mature her two teenage comrades and hopefully they would discover it all for themselves. She'd happily play the commentator and referee in the meantime, though she couldn't promise to not nudge them in the proper direction every once and awhile. Changing tact completely, she answered Mion's question honestly, "Yeah. Kei-chan changed my mind. I decided to start giving the idiot the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the things precious to me, after all, he kept you alive, didn't he? I need to trust him more, besides he's going to wind up being my brother-in-law a few years down the road anyway."

"Sh-Shion! Don't talk like that!"

"What? It might wind up being true for all you know–" Shion cut herself from her playful tirade when she heard the ceremonial drums beginning to echo over the festival. Her grin broadened as she realized that Rika's dance was about to begin, and she realized that the rest of the club had figured this too and had returned to the bench to join them. Satoko was beaming like the sun, her cheeks red and eyes bright with enthusiasm, something that made Shion smile with tenderness. 'I was right to trust Keiichi with her.' Taking her by the hand, she nodded towards the stage where Rika was soon to begin, turned towards Mion who had just gotten to her feet and questioned pleasantly, "Alright then sis, this is your show. What are our orders?"

"Last to the stage faces the punishment game from hell!" Mion announced evilly, grinning widely from face to surprised face. She wasn't disappointed with what happened next either, Rena nearly flew from where she had been standing, dragging poor Hanyuu behind her like a flag. Satoko and Shion took off next, laughing fit to burst as the watched the newest club member learn how to fly against her will. Snickering, she turned to see Keiichi standing beside her, wearing an affectionate smile that nearly made her lose her composure for the fifth time that day. "Wh-What are you grinning at? It got them away, didn't it?"

"Rika-chan will curse you for using her dance as an excuse to be alone with me." Keiichi teased warmly, but he extended his arm to her anyway and let her hold it in her own. She smiled gently and shuffled close, and they walked slowly towards the crowd that had assembled to see the age-old miko with a face of a child. He enjoyed the feeling of her fingers pressing tenderly against his skin, it all seemed rather right in this moment. Chuckling to himself, he enjoyed her touch and mused aloud, "Wonder what our punishment is going to be..."

"We can always get them back later, so forget about it. Just have fun in this moment Kei-chan." Mion reminded him with a wink, standing on tiptoe to kiss him gently on the cheek. Her own face was pink as she made the move, but she couldn't take it back now and she was glad that her courage hadn't failed her. 'Still, I think I'm always going to say it was easier to take a bullet then it was to look Keiichi in the eye and tell him I loved him... But he said so before... There's plenty of time left... for all of us. Besides...'

_There's always next year._

**AN**

**Don't know why it just seemed right to end it there, lol. I guess it's because they're all really kids at heart and despite what's gone on with them, they still are children. I worried about getting Shion's attitude right here, lol, but in the end I found myself satisfied. Shion can be the older sibling in a lot of respects when I think about it, lol, but then again there's just so much in Higurashi that can be taken many ways. A reason why I fell in love with this series, lol. I know I left it open for a lot more to happen, (meheheh), but that's the fun part of fanfiction too, you can stop and start wherever and whenever you like! (Or I'm just sadistic) XD But this ain't the end of my Higurashi work, oh boy no! I've got two other ideas in the works, one is a oneshot and the other is a mini series kinda like this. Romance will follow in both, because I'm a fangirl and I like it like that. Hehehe. **

**Merci to all my readers/reviewers/favouriters, I've been pleased to write amongst you all and hopefully you've had as much fun as I've had during this trip! See ya all on the flipside, read and review your favourite work, and don't forget to have fun in the meantime with fanfiction! Sayonara for now!**

**This Has Been,**

**Sky**


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